Three employees of electric automaker Tesla Motors were killed in a plane crash in East Palo Alto early Wednesday, the company said.

Two employees and an executive were aboard the plane that crashed into a neighborhood. Their identities were withhold by the company until the victims' relatives were notified.

Tesla's Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk, was not involved in the accident.

Our thoughts and prayers are with them. Tesla is a small, tightly-knit company, and this is a tragic day for us, Musk said in a statement.

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