Seven people were killed, and ten others were rescued after a small plane crashed into the Caribbean Sea off the coast of Roatán Island, Honduras, on Monday evening.

The aircraft, a British-made Jetstream 41, was carrying 14 passengers and three crew members on a domestic flight to La Ceiba Airport on the mainland.

The crash occurred just minutes after takeoff, as the plane sharply veered right and plunged into the sea approximately one kilometer from the shore. Rescue teams faced challenges reaching the wreckage due to rough waters and poor visibility. Among the victims was renowned Garifuna musician Aurelio Martínez Suazo.

Authorities have launched an official investigation to determine the cause of the crash, focusing on analyzing the plane’s black box data.