A small plane crashed into the Caribbean Sea near Roatan Island, killing at least twelve people, including US citizens. Civil aviation official Carlos Padilla said the plane “made a sharp turn to the right of the runway and fell into the water” shortly after takeoff.

A local fisherman who witnessed the crash said he barely avoided being hit as the plane plunged into the sea. Roatan Fire Captain Franklin Borjas noted the difficulty of reaching the site, explaining, “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 added, “The divers helping with the rescue have zero visibility.”

Rescue teams are working under challenging conditions due to the rocky coastline and poor underwater visibility. Emergency responders are coordinating efforts to recover victims and secure the crash site.

Honduran President Xiomara Castro announced that an Emergency Operations Committee has been activated, uniting various agencies to manage the response swiftly.

Authorities continue to investigate the cause of the crash while focusing on rescue and recovery operations. The tragedy has highlighted the risks of small-plane flights in the area and the challenges of emergency response in remote coastal regions.