Bratislava, Aug 21 At least seven people died when two planes collided mid-air while practicing for an air show in Slovakia. Several parachutists were spared after jumping moments before impact, according to Slovakian state-run television reports.

The two stunt planes collided at an altitude of 1,500 metres (nearly 5,000 feet) around 8.30 a.m. on Thursday, while television coverage showed the wreckage just outside Ilava, a town about 150 kilometres (97 miles) north of the capital, Bratislava.

According to rescuers, around 40 people were onboard the two aircraft. Most of them survived by parachuting shortly before the collision.

The wreckage landed in an inaccessible mountainous region near the border with the Czech Republic. Three rescue helicopters were immediately deployed to the scene.

Seven dead after planes collide in Slovakia