 "Four of the people aboard were Navy officers, and four were civilians, including a child. (AP)")
A Mexican Navy aircraft carrying out a humanitarian medical transfer crashed into Galveston Bay, Texas, on Monday, leaving at least five people dead, including a 2-year-old child, according to officials. The plane went down near the Galveston Causeway as it approached its destination, triggering a large emergency response from both US and Mexican authorities.
Eight people were on board. Four of the people aboard were Navy officers, and four were civilians, including a child. The death toll climbed Monday night as crews searched the waters west of the Galveston Causeway, where one person remains missing, a Coast Guard Heartland official told CNN. Two survivors were pulled from the water, though their conditions have not been disclosed.
Mission linked to medical aid for burn victims
The accident happened as the aircraft was approaching Galveston, Texas. The navy said the specialised medical transport mission was organised in coordination with a Mexican foundation that provides care for children suffering from severe burns. Flight tracking website Flight Radar showed that the aircraft departed from Merida in Mexico’s Yucatan state at 18:46 GMT and was last recorded at 21:01 GMT over Galveston Bay, near Scholes International Airport.
Teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board reached the crash site, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on X. An NTSB spokesperson noted they are “aware of this accident and are gathering information about it.”
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol officers were assisting at the scene, adding in a Facebook post that the public should avoid the area to allow emergency crews to operate safely.