A commercial airplane from the local airline Lansa crashed into the Caribbean Sea one minute after taking off from Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport on the island of Roatán, Honduras, according to an official source. The Deputy Director of Civil Aeronautics, Jorge Corrales, informed reporters that, according to preliminary reports, there were fifteen passengers and two pilots on board the aircraft.
The governor of Roatán, Hugo Valera, confirmed that at least six people lost their lives in the air accident, which occurred around 6:00 PM local time. The Minister of Infrastructure and Transport, Octavio Pineda, detailed on social media that the commercial airplane from Lansa had the registration HRAYW and was headed to La Ceiba on the mainland, where it was supposed to land at Guillermo Anderson International Airport.
After the accident, rescue teams, including the National Police and the Fire Department, were deployed to the crash site to assist the victims. Rescuers transferred the injured to a hospital in Roatán in an operation hindered by the lack of natural light, as the accident occurred at dusk.
Jorge Corrales reported that the airplane caught fire upon hitting the sea, while a firefighter official revealed that eight people were still inside the aircraft.
"We are doing everything possible to rescue the trapped individuals," added the official. The situation continues to develop, and more information is expected regarding the causes that led to this tragic incident.
