A young girl diagnosed with a life-threatening condition was one of six people onboard a doomed air ambulance that went down in Philadelphia on Friday as it was flying her home to Mexico, officials said.
The girl’s mother and four crewmembers were also aboard the medical air transport plane when it crashed around 6 p.m., just minutes after taking off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport, according to the Philadelphia Mayor’s office. They too died in the crash, which also injured several people on the ground.
While none of the victims have been identified, officials said they include a pediatric patient who had recently been receiving treatment for an illness at Shriners Children’s Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia. She was flying home to Mexico alongside her mother when the plane fell from the sky, crashing near Cottman Avenue and Roosevelt Boulevard, a busy intersection by the Roosevelt Mall.
The aircraft, operated by Jet Rescue, erupted into flames upon impact, which quickly spread to nearby homes and vehicles. Scores of first responders still remained on the scene Saturday and an investigation into what caused the crash is ongoing.
The flight’s final destination was supposed to be Tijuana following a stop in Missouri, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
In a post on X, the President of Mexico, Claudia Sheinbaum Pardo, confirmed all six victims were Mexican citizens.
“I regret the death of six Mexicans in the plane crash in Philadelphia,” she wrote.
“The consular authorities are in permanent contact with the families,” she continued. “I have asked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to support them in whatever way is required. My solidarity with their loved ones and friends.”
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