At least 12 people have lost their lives after a plane crashed into the sea shortly after take-off from the island of Roatán, Honduras, on Monday evening. The aircraft, a Jetstream 32 operated by Honduran airline Lanhsa, plunged into the water within a minute of departure from Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport at 18:18 local time (00:18 GMT on Tuesday). It was bound for Golosón International Airport in La Ceiba on the Honduran mainland.
The cause of the crash remains unknown. However, Roatán’s mayor stated that weather conditions were normal and did not contribute to the accident. Civil aviation official Carlos Padilla, quoted by AFP news agency, described how the plane “made a sharp turn to the right of the runway and fell into the water.” The Honduran Civil Aeronautics Agency has launched an investigation into the incident.
Emergency response teams, including the Honduran national police, fire department, and military, were promptly dispatched to the crash site. Officials confirmed that five people had been rescued, while one person remains missing. Survivors with injuries were airlifted to a hospital in San Pedro Sula by the Honduran Air Force.
In a statement on social media, the Honduran government expressed “solidarity” with the victims’ families. “The Government of Honduras deeply regrets the tragic accident in Roatán and joins in the national mourning,” the statement read. President Xiomara Castro immediately activated the country’s emergency committee, comprising all emergency services, including the police, fire department, Red Cross, and Ministry of Health. Writing on X, she stated that teams were “working tirelessly” to provide assistance, adding, “May God protect people’s lives.”
Videos shared by officials on social media depicted rescue teams working along a rocky coastline in the dark, with small boats and stretchers transporting survivors. Among the deceased was well-known Honduran musician Aurelio Martínez Suazo, a member of the Garifuna community. The Garifuna, a people of mixed indigenous and Afro-Caribbean descent originating from St Vincent, are known for their distinct musical style. His death has sent shockwaves through the Honduran cultural community, adding to the tragedy of the devastating crash.
