A private aircraft has crashed in Mexico, killing at least 10 people, including three children under the age of 10.
The victims included five adult passengers and two pilots, as well as three children believed to be from the same family. The crash occurred around 12:30 p.m. local time on December 15, when the aircraft went down near Toluca Airport.
Reports indicate that the pilot was attempting an emergency landing on a football field when the plane struck a warehouse in an industrial area of San Mateo Atenco, triggering a fire.
The children who lost their lives were a four-year-old boy and two girls aged nine and two. The aircraft had departed from Acapulco along Mexico’s Pacific coast before encountering difficulties.
Following the crash, hundreds of residents were evacuated from nearby areas as emergency services battled the fire. San Mateo Atenco is located about three miles (five kilometres) from Toluca Airport and roughly 31 miles (50 kilometres) west of Mexico City.
Initial reports suggested six bodies were recovered from the wreckage, but authorities later confirmed the death toll had risen to 10.
Investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing, with early indications pointing to a possible engine failure. Local media reported that the pilot’s final communication with air traffic control included a distress call indicating the aircraft was going down.
The pilot was identified as Juan Carlos Olivares Casas, while the co-pilot was named as Walding Sánchez Manzano. The adult passengers who died were identified as Raul Gomez Ruiz, 60; Olga Janine Buenfil Cardone, 60; Gustavo Palomino Olet, 50; Ilse Lizeth Hernandez Tellez, 32; and Raul Gomez Buenfil, 31. The children were identified by their first names as Raul, Natalia, and Ximena.
San Mateo Atenco Mayor Ana Muñiz told Milenio Television that the fire led to the evacuation of about 130 people from the surrounding area.
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