New Delhi, Jan. 27 -- Seven people were killed and one crew member was seriously injured after a private business jet crashed during takeoff amid heavy snowfall at Maine's Bangor International Airport on Sunday night, US aviation authorities said.

The Bombardier Challenger 600, carrying eight people, went down around 7:45 pm local time as a massive winter storm swept across New England and much of the eastern United States. The aircraft crashed shortly after departure and caught fire, according to preliminary information released by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said the crash occurred as snowfall intensified in the region. Bangor International Airport, located about 200 miles...