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 and local media said.
The Lanhsa Airlines plane, carrying 17 people, including two pilots and a flight attendant, departed at nightfall on March 17 from Roatan, headed for the port of La Ceiba on the Honduran mainland.
Dramatic video posted on social media by authorities showed rescue crews carrying a survivor on to a stretcher from the shoreline.
Honduras plane crash kills at least 12 people
What they’re saying:
“Twelve people dead and five alive after plane crash in Roatan,” Honduras National Police wrote in a statement to X, translated from Spanish. “At this time, only one body remains to be recovered, and rescue teams continue their work.”
Authorities said the plane, with a capacity for 30 passengers, suffered an “apparent mechanical failure” during takeoff to La Ceiba. The aircraft lose engine power and crashed into the sea approximately one kilometer from the runway.
National Police teams, in coordination with emergency services and other response agencies, managed to rescue several people, who were transported in police patrol cars to medical centers on the island.
Aurelio Martínez among those killed
Among the passengers was 56-year-old Martinez, a popular member of the Garifuna music scene, according to his record label. Known by the moniker Aurelio, he was also a representative in the Honduran National Congress.
What they’re saying:
“Aurelio was more than just a musician — he was a statesman, a spokesperson and vital saviour of the culture of the Garifuna people of Honduras,” his record label said in a statement on its website.
Aurelio began performing at Garifuna ceremonies when he was just a boy, and he grew into a professional artist forming the Lita Ariran ensemble and became a mainstay of the La Ceiba music scene.
Aurelio later served in Honduras’ national assembly as one of the first congressmen of African descent. He then left politics to return to music, subsequently touring the world, performing his own music, and paying tribute to the late Andy Palacio.
This is a developing story. Check back for more updates.
The Source: The information for this story was provided by Honduras National Police and local media outlets.
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