A medical transport jet carrying a child patient and five others crashed in a Philadelphia neighborhood on Friday, sparking a massive fire, AFP reported.
The aircraft went down near a shopping mall, exploding into a fireball that engulfed several homes.
US President Donald Trump reacted to the tragedy, calling it a “sad” incident. “More innocent souls lost,” he posted on Truth Social, adding that emergency responders were fully engaged.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the company operating the flight, stated they could not confirm any survivors. “Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, and anyone affected on the ground,” they said.
The six people aboard were from Mexico, including the child who had been receiving treatment for a life-threatening condition in Philadelphia. The child was being transported home to Tijuana, according to company spokesperson Shai Gold.
Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management confirmed a “major incident” near Cottman and Bustleton Avenues, across from Roosevelt Mall, urging people to avoid the area.
Eyewitnesses described hearing a loud explosion and feeling their homes shake. “I thought we were under attack for a second,” one resident told the Associated Press.
Flight data indicated the plane took off from Northeast Philadelphia Airport at 6:06 p.m. (local time), reached an altitude of 1,600 feet, and then vanished from radar within 30 seconds.
This incident comes just days after another tragic air disaster, where a passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter near Washington, D.C., killing all 67 people on board. That crash raised concerns about air traffic safety in congested airspaces.