A small Mexican Navy plane carrying eight people on a medical mission crashed Monday near Galveston, Texas, killing at least two people, officials said.
Emergency officials rescued four people and are searching for two more who were inside the plane, the Mexican Navy said on social media. According to the Mexican Navy, there were four officers and four civilians on board. It was not immediately clear who was missing or who was killed.
The accident occurred Monday around 3:17 p.m. local time near the base of a dam near Galveston, along the Texas coast about 50 miles southeast of Houston.
Mexico's navy said in a statement that the plane was assisting with a medical mission and was involved in an “accident.” They promised to find out the cause of the disaster.
The navy is assisting local authorities in the search and rescue operation, a report on X said.
Jennifer Reynolds/Galveston County Daily News via AP
Federal Aviation Administration officials were expected to respond to the crash scene, the Texas Department of Public Safety said on X. DPS Sgt. Stephen Woodard told CBS News that life-saving measures were being taken at the scene.
The Galveston County Sheriff's Office said members of the dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol responded to the crash scene.
“The incident remains under investigation and more information will be released as it becomes available,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post, adding that the public should avoid the area so emergency responders can work safely.
Galveston is an island that is a popular beach destination.
It is not immediately clear whether weather was a factor. However, according to Cameron Baptiste, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service, the area has experienced fog over the past few days.
He said fog set in around 2:30 pm on Monday with visibility of about half a mile. The fog is expected to persist until Tuesday morning.
