Small plane crash off Honduran island kills at least 12, including popular musician - UPDATED/VIDEO
At least 12 people including a popular musician died Monday when a small plane crashed into the Caribbean sea quickly after taking off from the Honduran island of Roatan, officials said.
The Lanhsa Airlines plane departed at nightfall from Roatan, one of the central American country's main tourist destinations, headed for the port of La Ceiba on the Honduran mainland.
The aircraft "made a sharp turn to the right of the runway and fell into the water," civil aviation official Carlos Padilla said.
"The plane almost fell on us. I was fishing," a fisherman, whose name was not given, told HCH television.
The fire department said 12 people were killed in the crash while five others were rescued.
Honduran musician Aurelio Martinez, a popular member of the Garifuna music scene, was among the dead, local media reported. According to the Kennedy Center, Martinez founded the Lita Ariran ensemble, one of the first Garifuna groups to be featured on an internationally distributed album.
"Martinez's virtuosic musicianship and passionate performances made him a mainstay of the La Cieba music scene, where he was best loved for his take on punta rock, the high-energy, Garifuna roots-infused pop genre that took Central America by storm in the 1990s," according to the Kennedy Center.
Fifteen passengers were on the plane, along with two pilots and a flight attendant, according to police.
The crash, which happened about half a mile from the island's coast, was caused by an "apparent mechanical failure" on the British-made Jetstream 41, the police statement said.
Honduran President Xiomara Castro said she had "immediately activated" an emergency committee made up of the armed forces, firefighters and others to assist the victims of the accident.
Six fatalities have been reported after a plane attempted to take off from Roatan Island just off the coast of Honduras, the fire chief told local media late on Monday, News.Az reports citing Investing.
Wilmer Guerrero, the Roatan fire chief, told local broadcaster HCH that eight passengers are likely still inside the plane.
Source: Reuters
The island’s police chief Lisandro Muñoz said the plane crashed into the water shortly after take off in comments to local broadcaster Noticiero Hoy Mismo.
"Recovery and rescue (efforts) are difficult because the plane fell into the sea," he said.
Source: Reuters
Operated by Honduran carrier Lanhsa, the Jetstream aircraft was carrying 17 passengers, including three crew members, the country’s transport minister told local radio but without detailing the number of fatalities.
Source: Reuters
According to the flight manifest shown by local media, the passengers included a U.S. national, a French national, as well as two minors. The plane was scheduled to fly to La Ceiba airport on the Honduran mainland.
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