Jetstream Plane Crashes On Honduran Caribbean Beach, 7 People Died

Roatan, Honduras/ILLUSTRATION OF UNSPLASH/Chalo Garcia

JAKARTA - The plane crashed off the coast of the Caribbean Honduras minutes after taking off from Roatan Island. Seven people died, while 10 others were successfully evacuated safely.

Jetstream aircraft operated by the Honduras Lanhsa airline carried 14 passengers and three crew members, according to the transport minister.

The plane's carcass was found about 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) from the island's coast.

According to the aviation manifest shown by local media, passengers include a US citizen, a French citizen, and two minors. The plane is scheduled to fly to La Ceiba airport on the main mainland of Honduras.

Fire captain Roatan Franklin Borjas confirmed the death toll.

The famous Garifuna musician, Aurelio Martinez Suazo, was among the dead, according to firefighters.

Videos posted on social media by national police show officers and other rescue workers carrying survivors to the rocky coastline, some of which use stretchers.

While the boat nearby emitted bright light in the midst of darkness. The cause of the accident is not clear.

Borjas told Reuters the survivors were taken to a nearby hospital, as well as confirming the crash occurred shortly after the plane took off from the island.

Roatan, the largest island in the Bay Islands off the coast of Honduras, is a popular tourist attraction and is famous for its colorful coral reefs.

Borjas noted that bad conditions made it difficult for search and rescue efforts.

"It's hard to access an accident (location) because there are rocks as high as 30 meters (98 feet) and you can't reach it while walking or swimming," he said.

"The divers who helped rescue were unable to see at all," he continued.