A tragic incident occurred in Mexico as a plane crashed, claiming the lives of 10 individuals, including three young children all under the age of 10. Among the victims were a four-year-old boy and two girls aged nine and two, believed to be part of the same family. The crash, which occurred around 12:30 pm local time near Mexico’s Toluca Airport, involved a private aircraft that collided with a warehouse on an industrial estate. The passengers on board included five adults and two pilots.
Following the crash, nearby residents had to be evacuated due to a fire that broke out in the area. The accident took place in San Mateo Atenco, an industrial zone located approximately three miles from Toluca Airport and about 31 miles west of Mexico City. The plane had departed from Acapulco on Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Initially, reports indicated six bodies were found within the aircraft wreckage, but the death toll later rose to 10. Investigations are ongoing, with a focus on a possible engine malfunction as the cause of the crash. The last communication between the pilot and air traffic controllers revealed the pilot’s distressing words, “We’re crashing.”
JetPro, the company operating the air taxi service with a fleet of 11 jets and four helicopters, has not issued a statement regarding the incident. Meanwhile, Servicios Aereos Estrella, a company mistakenly linked to the private jet operation, expressed condolences to those affected and clarified that the aircraft did not belong to them.
The victims of the crash have been identified, with the pilot named as Juan Carlos Olivares Casas and the co-pilot as Walding Sanchez Manzano. The adult passengers who lost their lives were Raul Gomez Ruiz, Olga Janine Buenfil Cardone, Gustavo Palomino Olet, Ilse Lizeth Hernandez Tellez, and Raul Gomez Buenfil. The children who tragically perished were identified by their first names – Raul, Natalia, and Ximena. San Mateo Atenco Mayor Ana Muñiz reported that around 130 individuals in the vicinity had to be evacuated due to the fire.