At Least A Dozen De*d After Plane Plunges Into Sea

At least 12 people died after a small plane crashed into the Caribbean Sea after taking off from the Honduran island of Roatan.

The country’s transport ministry said the flight had 14 passengers and three crew members on board.

An aircraft crashed into the sea with 17 people on board in Roatán, Honduras, on Monday, according to local officials.

Honduras Civil Aviation confirmed that the accident occurred at 6:18 p.m. at Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport.

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CBS News reports:

The Lanhsa Airlines plane departed at nightfall from Roatan, one of the central American country’s main tourist destinations, headed for the port of La Ceiba on the Honduran mainland.

The aircraft “made a sharp turn to the right of the runway and fell into the water,” civil aviation official Carlos Padilla said.

“The plane almost fell on us. I was fishing,” a fisherman, whose name was not given, told HCH television.

The fire department said 12 people were killed in the crash while five others were rescued.

Dramatic video posted to social media by the national police showed rescue workers carrying a survivor on a stretcher onto the rocky shore. Another video showed a similar scene, with police reporting that only one body was still missing as rescue teams continued their search.

At least 12 dead after plane crashes off Caribbean island shortly after take-off https://t.co/TL4jky4EQU pic.twitter.com/agfLEFfPli

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WATCH:

#Gravitas | A small passenger plane crashed in Honduras, seconds after taking off from a Caribbean island near mainland Honduras, Killing at least 12 people and leaving several injured.@SehgalRahesha brings you this report pic.twitter.com/MnppkDRSJK

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Garifuna musician Aurelio Martinez was among the victims of the tragedy.

Belize joins Honduras in mourning the passing of Aurelio Martínez Sauzo, one of six victims who perished in a plane crash near Roatán, Honduras.

Aurelio was a great friend of Belize and a true champion of Garífuna culture and music. As a renowned Garífuna musician, Aurelio was… pic.twitter.com/ST85A1n6P6

— Belize MFAFT (@MFABelize) March 18, 2025

Per Sky News:

National police confirmed the deaths which also included, according to local media, two children, a US national and a French national.

The plane had been scheduled to fly to La Ceiba airport on the Honduran mainland.

Both police and fire officials detailed the rescue effort under way.

Photos showed emergency services working by torchlight on Monday night to recover bodies from the sea.

Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands just off the Honduran coast, is a popular tourist attraction and known for its coral reefs.

Local fire chief Franklin Borjas said adverse conditions had complicated the search and rescue efforts.

It was added the search for the last victim was ongoing, the fire service said.

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