Philadelphia: The death toll from the crash of a medical jet carrying a Mexican child home from a hospital in Philadelphia has reached seven, with 19 others reported injured, authorities confirmed on Saturday.
The crash, which marked the second major aviation disaster in the United States this week, occurred on Friday when a twin-engine Learjet 55 crashed into a busy Philadelphia neighborhood. The impact caused the jet to explode, scattering wreckage across homes and vehicles.
Earlier, officials confirmed that all six people aboard, including the young girl who had been receiving medical care in the U.S., her mother, and members of the flight and medical crews, were killed. They were all Mexican nationals.
On Saturday, Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker stated that at least one other person, a civilian in a car, was also killed, bringing the total death toll to seven. Nineteen others were wounded in the incident.
Speaking at a press conference, Parker noted that the toll was “not final” and could still rise.
“We still don’t have all the details on who was on the streets at the time of impact,” said the city’s managing director, Adam Thiel, warning that the full extent of the damage could take days to fully assess.
Thiel added that the crash site spanned four to six blocks, with debris found in a “remote area where the aircraft’s impact occurred.”
Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum expressed her condolences on social media following the incident.
The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) announced it is investigating the crash along with the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).
Both agencies are also investigating the deadliest aviation disaster in the U.S. in nearly 25 years, following a collision between a passenger jet operated by an American Airlines subsidiary and a U.S. Army Black Hawk helicopter on Wednesday.
