By Premiumkosova A jet crashed off the coast of Honduras, a country in Central America, killing at least 12 passengers.
According to the BBC, the Honduran airline Lanhsa’s Jetstream 32 plane fell into the ocean just one minute after taking off from the island of Roatán.
Five individuals had been rescued, according to independent statements made by the local police and fire service after the disaster, while one person was still missing.
At least 12 people are thought to have died in the collision.
The cause of the crash was not yet determined, although Roatán’s mayor told local media that it was not due to bad weather. In the meantime, the Honduran Civil Aeronautics Agency has acknowledged that an inquiry is underway.
On Monday, March 17, at 6:18 p.m. local time, the aircraft departed Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport on its way to Golosón International Airport in La Ceiba, a city on the Honduran mainland.
Carlos Padilla, a civil aviation authority, told CBS News that the aircraft had “made a sharp turn to the right of the runway and fell into the water.”
Moreover, the Honduran government posted a message on social media, stating: “The Government of Honduras deeply regrets the tragic accident in Roatán and joins in the national mourning.”
President Xiomara Castro of Honduras “immediately activated” the country’s emergency committee, which includes the Ministry of Health, the military, the police, the fire department, and the Red Cross.
Speaking on X, she added: “They have immediately arrived at the scene of the plane crash that occurred 1 km from Roatán International Airport and are tirelessly assisting in the unfortunate incident. May God protect people’s lives.”
According to local media, one of the dead was a well-known artist from the area. The national police shared a terrifying footage of the tragedy on social media, which showed rescuers hoisting a survivor onto the shore.
In other videos released by authorities, rescue crews can be seen working along the coast in the dark, with stretchers and small boats available to assist survivors.
According to reports, there were only one flight attendant, two pilots, and fifteen passengers on the aircraft.
“An ‘apparent mechanical failure’ on the British-made aircraft caused the accident,” the police said in an online statement.
According to Major Wilmer Guerrero, those hurt in the collision were sent to a hospital in the mainland city of San Pedro Sula.