Rescue teams work on rescuing victims of a plane crash near the International Airport of Roatan, in Roatan Island in this pictured obtained in March 17, 2025. Armed Forces of Honduras/Handout via REUTERS
Rescue operations in the aftermath of a plane crash in the surroundings of Roatan Island, Honduras, in this pictured obtained on March 17, 2025. National Police of Honduras/Handout via REUTERS
Rescue operations underway in the aftermath of a plane crash in location given as Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras in this screengrab from a handout video, date given as March 17, 2025. Policia Nacional de Honduras/Handout via REUTERS
Rescue operations underway in the aftermath of a plane crash in location given as Roatan, Bay Islands, Honduras in this screengrab from a handout video, date given as March 17, 2025. Policia Nacional de Honduras/Handout via REUTERS
TEGUCIGALPA, March 17 (Reuters) – A plane crashed just off the Caribbean coast of Honduras on Monday night minutes after taking off from Roatan Island, killing seven people, while 10 others were pulled out from the wreckage alive, authorities said.
The Jetstream aircraft operated by Honduran airline Lanhsa was carrying 14 passengers and three crew members, according to the country’s transport minister, who said the wreckage was found about 1 kilometer (0.6 mile) off the island’s coast.
According to the flight manifest shown by local media, the passengers included a U.S. national, a French national and two minors. The plane was scheduled to fly to La Ceiba airport on the Honduran mainland.
Roatan fire captain Franklin Borjas confirmed the death toll, while both police and fire officials detailed the rescue efforts underway.
Well-known Garifuna musician Aurelio Martinez Suazo was among the dead, according to fire officials.
Dramatic video uploaded to social media by the national police showed officers and other rescue workers carrying survivors onto a rocky coastline, some in stretchers, as a nearby boat shone a bright light amid the darkness.
The cause of the crash was not immediately clear. The airline did not respond immediately to a request for comment.
Borjas told Reuters the survivors were transported to a nearby hospital, while also confirming that the crash took place shortly after the plane’s takeoff from the island.
Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands just off the Honduran coast, is a popular tourist attraction and famed for its vibrant coral reefs.
Borjas noted that adverse conditions complicated the search and rescue efforts.
“It’s been difficult to access the accident (site) because there are 30 meters (98 ft) of rocks and you can’t get there while walking or swimming,” he said.
Reporting by Joan Humberto Suazo; Writing by David Alire Garcia; Editing by Natalia Siniawski and Jamie Freed
