No deaths in horror Mexico passenger jet crash
MEXICO CITY: Dozens of people were injured on Tuesday when a packed Aeromexico-operated Embraer jet crashed soon after take-off in Mexico's state of Durango, but the authorities said most were not seriously hurt and there were no fatalities.
The mid-sized jet was almost full, with 97 passengers and four crew members, when it came down at around 4 pm local time (5am on Wednesday in Singapore), Mr Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, Mexico's Secretary of Communications and Transportation, wrote on Twitter.
One passenger, Ms Jackeline Flores, told reporters that she and her daughter escaped through a hole in the fuselage as the aircraft filled up with smoke and flames.
"I feel blessed and grateful to God," she said.
TV images showed the severely damaged body of the plane after it came to rest in scrubland with a column of smoke rising into the sky.
The aircraft made an emergency landing about 10 km from the airport, said Mr Alejandro Cardoza, a spokesman for the state's civil protection agency.
Mr Cardoza said that around 85 people had suffered mostly light injuries, adding that the fire from the accident had been put out. The civil protection agency said 37 people were hospitalised, while the state health department said two passengers were in a critical condition.
"Many managed to leave the plane on foot," Mr Cardoza said.
The operator of Durango airport, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, attributed the crash to bad weather conditions.
The plane had barely taken off when it felt like it was hit by a strong air current, another passenger told network Televisa.
The head of Mexico's civil aviation agency, Mr Luis Gerardo Fonseca, said it could take months to know the cause of the accident, adding that the plane's voice and data recorders would be recovered once rescue efforts were completed.
A spokesman for Aeromexico declined to disclose the passenger list or the nationalities of those on board.
Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto wrote on Twitter that he had instructed the defence, civil protection and transportation ministries to help investigations. - REUTERS
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