The small Mexican plane was carrying out a medical mission when it crashed off the Texas coast, five people have been confirmed dead as a result and a search mission is underway
A small Mexican plane carrying a young medical patient and seven others has crashed, killing at least five people. The plane crashed on Monday, December 22 near Galveston and officials are now searching waters off the Texas coast.
Mexico’s Navy have confirmed that four people aboard were Navy officers and four were civilians, including a child. It was not immediately clear which of them died.
Two of the passengers were members from the Michou and Mau Foundation, a nonprofit that provides aid to Mexican children who have suffered severe burns. The US Coast Guard have confirmed that five were killed and the cause of the crash is being investigated.
It happened on Monday afternoon near the base of a causeway near Galveston, along the Texas coast about 50 miles (80.5 kilometers) southeast of Houston. In a statement, the Mexican Navy said that the plane was helping a medical mission when it had an “accident”
They continued that they are helping local authorities with the search and rescue operation.
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said officials from its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol were responding to the crash. Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are also on scene.
The Sheriff’s office said: “The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available.”
The popular beach destination has been experiencing foggy weather over recent days and it is not clear if this was a contributing factor. National Weather Service meteorologist said that at about 2:30 pm Monday a fog came in that had about a half-mile visibility. The foggy conditions are expected to persist through Tuesday morning.
