WASHINGTON, July 17 (Xinhua) -- At least three people were killed after two small planes collided mid-air in the U.S. state of Florida Tuesday, authorities said.

The accident took place in southern Florida, the Federal Aviation Administration said. Local police have confirmed that three people have been killed and the whereabouts of a possible fourth passenger is unknown.

On Tuesday night, police identified the three victims as Jorge Sanchez, 22, Ralph Knight, 72, and Nisha Sejwal, 19.

The search and rescue effort has been suspended for Tuesday due to the low visibility and would resume Wednesday.

Local media reported that Sanchez was a local resident who has shown passion for flying since very young, while Sejwal's social media page suggested that she was from India.

The debris of the crashed planes was located in a region only accessible by airboats. Photos circulating online shows the wreckage resting on top of a swampy terrain covered by long grass.

Miami Dade County Mayor told local media that both planes belonged to Dean International, a flight school that has a history of more than two dozen incidents and accidents in the decade between 2007 and 2017.