A Mexican Navy aircraft transporting medical patients crashed into the waters of Galveston Bay on Monday afternoon, killing at least five people, including a two-year-old child, US Coast Guard officials said, according to AP.
Four people were rescued alive, while one person remained unaccounted for, a spokesperson for the United States Coast Guard’s Houston–Galveston sector told CNN.
According to AP, two of those on board were associated with the Michou and Mau Foundation, a non-profit organisation that supports Mexican children suffering from severe burns. Galveston County Sheriff Jimmy Fullen said the aircraft was transporting burn patients. While the sheriff initially indicated that four people may have died, the Coast Guard said it could not immediately confirm one of the fatalities as of Monday night.
The Mexican Navy confirmed that eight people were on board the aircraft—four naval crew members and four civilians. Sheriff’s officials told CNN affiliate KHOU that at least one paediatric burn patient was among those being transported.
Emergency response teams, including dive units, crime scene investigators, drone teams and patrol officers, were deployed following the crash, the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post. The Coast Guard said it received the first report of the crash at around 3.17 pm local time.
The Texas Department of Public Safety, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) are assisting with the response and investigation.
“Search and rescue protocols were immediately activated in coordination with local authorities,” the Mexican Navy said in a statement, adding that it is coordinating with the Mexican Consulate in Houston.
