A small medical evacuation plane with six people on board – all Mexican nationals – crashed this Friday in a residential area of Philadelphia, in the state of Pennsylvania (United States), according to the authorities, who have not yet given an official count of possible victims.
According to the company in charge of the flight, JetRescue, the crew was composed of a pediatric patient, his companion and four team members. In addition, it has maintained that “at this time” they cannot confirm any survivors.
“This is what we have learned so far. A Learjet 55 crashed around 6:30 p.m. local time after taking off from the Northeast Philadelphia Airport. It was reported that there were six people on board,” said the Secretary of Transportation, Sean Duffy.
Previously, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) warned that the plane was heading to Springfield-Branson National Airport in Missouri. “The FAA and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) will lead the investigation and provide all updates,” they added.
The President of the United States, Donald Trump, has lamented what happened on his Truth Social account: “How sad to see the plane fall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally committed.”
THE SIX OCCUPANTS WERE MEXICAN
The Mexican Foreign Ministry has communicated that the airline responsible for the transfer “confirmed that six people of Mexican nationality were traveling on the aircraft.”
“Personnel from the Mexican Consulate are in contact with relatives and will provide all the required consular support and assistance, and will be on the lookout in case there are more affected compatriots in the vicinity of the accident,” they added.
It was the Pennsylvania Office of Emergency Management that initially reported a “major incident” near Cottman and Bustleton avenues in northeast Philadelphia, opposite the Roosevelt Mall.
Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker revealed at a press conference that several homes and vehicles “were affected” and that the incident is under investigation, adding that they have no reports on the number of fatalities, according to the American network CNN.
Several houses caught fire in the area of Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard after the accident, the Fire Department reported. Parts of the plane fell on nearby vehicles and some businesses were also hit by the fire.
In addition, several videos broadcast in American media show the intense flames and a dense column of smoke rising after the plane hit.
