TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras: A airplane crashed simply off the Caribbean coast of Honduras on Monday (Mar 17) evening minutes after taking off from Roatan Island, killing seven individuals, whereas 10 others had been pulled out from the wreckage alive, authorities mentioned.
The Jetstream plane operated by Honduran airline Lanhsa was carrying 14 passengers and three crew members, based on the nation’s transport minister, who mentioned the wreckage was discovered about 1km off the island’s coast.
In accordance with the flight manifest proven by native media, the passengers included a United States nationwide, a French nationwide and two minors. The airplane was scheduled to fly to La Ceiba airport on the Honduran mainland.
Roatan hearth captain Franklin Borjas confirmed the loss of life toll, whereas each police and hearth officers detailed the rescue efforts underway.
Effectively-known Garifuna musician Aurelio Martinez Suazo was among the many useless, based on hearth officers.
Dramatic video uploaded to social media by the nationwide police confirmed officers and different rescue employees carrying survivors onto a rocky shoreline, some in stretchers, as a close-by boat shone a shiny mild amid the darkness.
The reason for the crash was not instantly clear. The airline didn’t reply instantly to a request for remark.
Borjas instructed Reuters the survivors had been transported to a close-by hospital, whereas additionally confirming that the crash came about shortly after the airplane’s takeoff from the island.
Roatan, the biggest of the Bay Islands simply off the Honduran coast, is a well-liked vacationer attraction and is famed for its vibrant coral reefs.
Borjas famous that adversarial circumstances sophisticated the search and rescue efforts.
“It has been tough to entry the accident (website) as a result of there are 30m of rocks and you may’t get there whereas strolling or swimming,” he mentioned.
“The divers serving to with the rescue have zero visibility,” he added.
