Ten people — including three children — have died after a private jet burst into flames while attempting to make an emergency landing in Mexico.
The private jet was forced to attempt the emergency landing on a soccer field in San Mateo, Atenco, on Monday, December 15. However, the jet was unable to land safely on the field and instead hit a warehouse, where it burst into flames, according to The Telegraph, Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Associated Press.
The crash took place approximately 60 miles southwest of Mexico City.
The plane had left Acapulco and was on the way to Toluca before the fatal crash, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
The warehouse that the plane flew into was storing fuel and gas tanks, Secretary of Security for the State of Mexico Cristóbal Castañeda confirmed, according to the Associated Press. Due to the potentially dangerous items in the building, those in the area had to be evacuated in order to remain safe following the accident.
Approximately 130 people were evacuated from the area, San Mateo Atenco Mayor Ana Muñiz said, per the Associated Press. Additionally, Mexico State Civil Protection Coordinator Adrián Hernández confirmed that ten people were killed in the accident, including three minors.
Hernández said the private jet initially had eight passengers and two crew members on board. However, only seven bodies have been recovered as of time of publication. The victims have not yet been publicly identified.
When asked about the victims, Muñiz didn’t reveal their identities and instead said, “We are being responsible in the information we give.”
“It spun around like when a fan breaks loose,” local resident Octavio Contreras said as he described how the private jet descended, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. “Then we heard the explosion, the truck even moved, and then we saw smoke coming out.”
Pictures of the incident were shared online and showed emergency responders from the Toluca fire service near the burnt warehouse. Additionally, the photos showed smashed windows and a scorched soccer field in the aftermath of the crash.
“In support of a disaster following the collapse of a small plane at the intersection of Industria Automotriz and Miguel Aleman, we immediately went to the site in coordination with Metepec Firefighters, San Mateo Atenco and Lightning, applying the relevant safety protocols,” the Civil Protection Firefighters of Toluca, also known as PC Bomberos Toluca, wrote in a statement shared on Facebook.
The statement continued, “We continue to work in solidarity and jointly with state emergency bodies and neighboring municipalities to achieve the total fire extinguishing and safeguarding the population.”
The Associated Press also reported that an investigation has been launched into the matter, which will be led by the Attorney General’s Office. Meanwhile, the Federal Agency of Civil Aviation is also looking into the cause of the crash.
“The Federal Agency of Civil Aviation, the Aviation Accidents and Incidents Analysis Directive and the Mexican Aero Space Navigation Services Directive, are conducting the corresponding investigation,” the federal agency wrote in a statement on Tuesday, December 16.
