A small plane crashed into the Caribbean Sea off Roatan Island, Honduras, killing at least twelve people, including U.S. citizens.
The aircraft went down shortly after takeoff. Civil aviation official Carlos Padilla said it “made a sharp turn to the right of the runway and fell into the water.” A nearby fisherman said he narrowly avoided being hit by the falling plane.
Rescue efforts have proven difficult. Roatan Fire Captain Franklin Borjas explained, “There are 30 meters (98 ft) of rocks and you can’t get there while walking or swimming. The divers helping with the rescue have zero visibility.”
Honduran President Xiomara Castro activated an Emergency Operations Committee to manage the response.
