• Seven people killed after Hawker Hunter crash on A27

• Sussex police confirmed there are 'several' casualities

• 14 people have sustained 'minor injuries'

Seven people have been killed after a fighter jet crashed onto a busy motorway while performing at a country air show in Sussex.

The Hawker Hunter jet, which was performing a display at the Sussex air show, crashed on the A27 outside Brighton and struck four vehicles as it came down at around 1.20pm.

South East Coast Ambulance service confirmed seven people had died in the crash, with one unidentified person taken to hospital in a critical condition. A total of 14 people sustained minor injuries.

Immediately following the crash, social media users shared photographs and footage from the crash. One of the videos appeared to show the pilot attempting a loop manoeuvre before he crashed to the ground.

The Royal Sussex County Hospital, which was put on alert at around 2pm, confirmed two casualties had been admitted. Of these, one was said to be in a critical condition, with the other suffering from “minor” injuries.

Hundreds of people watching the annual Royal Air Forces Association air show reported seeing the Hawker Hunter T mark 7 aircraft crash at the beginning of its display.

Warning: the following footage contains scenes that some viewers may find upsetting

Tony Wallace, 48 from Shoreham, watched the crash from nearby Mill Hill with his friends and two children and described the scene on the motorway as “like a war zone.”

The A27 was closed in both directions, with Sussex police advising motorists to avoid the area.

“There’s still plume of smoke, fire engines and a car covered in foam,” he told The Independent.

“There are around 200 people watching it here and there was a gasp of horror. If the pilot ejected, we didn’t see it”.

The status of the pilot remains unknown. It was initially reported that he had been pulled from the burning aircraft and was being treated in hospital; however, The Independent was not able to verify these claims.