A Mexican navy plane carrying burn patients to a Texas hospital in the United States crashed into the waters of Galveston Bay on Monday, killing at least five people, officials said.
Mexico’s navy said there were eight people on board the twin-turboprop plane, including four naval officers and four civilians, one of whom was a child.
The plane was carrying burn patients to Shriners Children’s Hospital in Galveston.
The cause of the accident is being investigated
The plane, King Air ANX-1209, took off from Merida in Mexico’s Yucatan state and was headed to Galveston Scholes International Airport.
The flight was part of a medical mission coordinated with the Michou and Maui Foundation, which arranges emergency transport to hospitals for children with life-threatening burns.
Officials said the crash occurred as the plane was approaching Galveston. Investigation into the cause is ongoing. Officials from the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board have been deployed to the scene.
The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol officers were also assisting at the scene.
Edited by: Darko Janjevic