No survivors after private jet crashes in northern Mexico
The wreckage of a private jet that disappeared with more than a dozen people on board has been found in a mountainous area in northern Mexico, local media report.
There are conflicting reports about whether there were 13 people or 14 on board the ill-fated flight. There are no reported survivors.
The Bombardier Challenger 601 was en route from Las Vegas to the Mexican city of Monterrey when it vanished from radar on Sunday, said Miguel Riquelme, governor of the north-eastern state of Coahuila.
The jet’s wreckage was seen on Monday from the air near Hercules, a mining locality in Coahuila, daily La Jornada reported.
Rescue crews were heading to the remote area near the municipality of Ocampo.
The passengers had visited Las Vegas to watch a boxing match between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico and American Daniel Jacobs.
An air search found the downed plane in a remote mountainous area in the municipality of Ocampo on Monday, the Coahuila state government said in a statement.
“There were no survivors seen,” it said.
BREAKING NEWS 🚨— A BOMBARDIER CHALLENGER (N601VH) PRIVATE JET WITH 11 PASSENGERS, 3 CREW ON BOARD OPERATING FROM LAS VEGAS TO MONTERREY HAS CRASHED IN COAHUILA AFTER A VERTICAL NOSE DIVE. THE REASON IS UNKOWN AS OF NOW MORE UPDATES WILL FOLLOW. #N601VH #BreakingNews #planecrash pic.twitter.com/nl7zuKDb37
— BREAKING NEWS: AVIATION (@lastestaviation) May 6, 2019
Personnel from the public safety department and prosecutor’s office were making their way to the site. The cause of the crash was under investigation.
Officials did not release the identities of those aboard. Local media reported the passengers were all Mexican, several from the same family.
Mexico’s civil aviation authority declined to provide information.
Mexican news outlets published an aerial photograph that appeared to show the burnt out remains for the jet.
The plane was registered to Utah-based TVPX, listed as an insurance, customs and trust company. The company declined to comment on who was operating the plane.
Local reports said there was a strong storm in the area of the crash site at the time.
-with AAP
