A Mexican navy aircraft carrying medical patients crashed into the waters of Galveston Bay in Texas on Monday afternoon, killing at least five people, including a two-year-old child, US coast guard officials said, according to AP. Four people were rescued alive, while one person remains unaccounted for, a spokesperson for the coast guard’s Houston-Galveston sector told CNN.Two of the people aboard were members from the Michou and Mau Foundation, which is a nonprofit that provides aid to Mexican children who have suffered severe burns., reported AP. Galveston county sheriff Jimmy Fullen said the aircraft was transporting burn patients. While the sheriff indicated that four people may have died, the coast guard said it was unable to confirm a fourth fatality as of Monday night. The Mexican navy confirmed that eight people were on board the aircraft – four naval crew members and four civilians. Sheriff’s officials told CNN affiliate KHOU that at least one pediatric burn patient was among those being transported. Emergency response teams, including a dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol officers, were deployed following the crash, the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said in a social media post. The coast guard said it received the first report of the crash at around 3.17pm (local time). The Texas department of safety, federal aviation administration (FAA) and national transportation safety board (NTSB) are assisting in the response and investigation.“Search and rescue protocols were immediately activated in coordination with local authorities. The event is underway and protocols are being carried out in coordination with all relevant authorities,” the Mexican navy said in a statement. It added that it is coordinating with the Mexican Consulate in Houston.
