Honduras Plane Crash Claims At Least 12 Lives After Takeoff from Caribbean Island

Tragedy struck off the Caribbean coast of Honduras Monday evening when a small plane crashed shortly after takeoff, leaving at least 12 people dead. The incident unfolded moments after the aircraft departed from the Juan Manuel Galvez Airport on Roatan Island, heading for La Ceiba, according to the Civil Aeronautics Agency.

The wreckage was discovered less than a mile off the coast, Honduran President Xiomara Castro confirmed. The ill-fated Jetstream 32, operated by the Honduran airline Lanhsa, carried two crew members and 15 passengers. Among them were an American national, a French national, and two minors, according to the flight manifest shared by local media.

Heartbreakingly, well-known Honduran musician Aurelio Martinez Suazo was among the victims, local sources reported. Five individuals were rescued from the crash, but one passenger remains unaccounted for, firefighters said. Search efforts have been hampered by poor visibility and challenging conditions, with divers struggling against rocky terrain and zero visibility in the area.

Initial reports suggest the crash was caused by a mechanical failure. Roatan Mayor Ronnie Richard McNap Thompson stated that the plane "made a sharp turn to the right of the runway and fell into the water." Dramatic video footage showed emergency crews conducting rescue operations in the sea, underscoring the urgency and difficulty of the mission.

"The Government of Honduras deeply regrets the tragic accident in Roatan," read a statement released on X (formerly Twitter). The government has activated emergency services, including the Armed Forces, firefighters, and police, to assist with rescue and recovery efforts. Rapid response teams remain on-site, working tirelessly to locate the sole missing passenger.

Conditions are expected to improve on Tuesday, allowing firefighters and divers to continue their search. Survivors of the crash were transported to a nearby hospital for treatment of their injuries.

Civil aviation official Carlos Padilla told AFP that the plane's sudden turn before crashing into the water highlights the severity of the mechanical failure. Meanwhile, authorities are working with Lanhsa Airlines to obtain further information about the incident, though the company has not yet provided a response.

As the nation mourns, this tragic accident serves as a stark reminder of the unpredictable and often unforgiving nature of air travel.