New York: Three days after the catastrophic midair collision and crash involving a passenger airliner and a military helicopter in Washington, the USA was shaken up by another air disaster.
A small plane, which was a medical transport jet carrying a child patient and five others crashed in a busy neighbourhood of Philadelphia on Friday night (US time) and sparked a large fire as scared and panic-stricken people on ground screamed and ran for their lives.
The plane crashed in the vicinity of a shopping mall, exploding in a fireball that engulfed several houses, AFP reported.
Jet Rescue Air Ambulance, the medical transport company, could not confirm survivors.
“We cannot confirm any survivors. Our immediate concern is for the patient’s family, our personnel, their families and other victims that may have been hurt on the ground,” the company said in a statement.
❗️Panic at Philadelphia plane crash site
Thick smoke billows as multiple cars up in flames https://t.co/nl3kXrmiMp pic.twitter.com/FTTCniUksa
— RT (@RT_com) February 1, 2025
US President Donald Trump lamented the loss of more ‘innocent souls’ in the ‘sad’ Philadelphia plane crash.
“More innocent souls lost. Our people are totally engaged,” Trump posted on his social media platform Truth Social.
According to the air ambulance company, the six people aboard were from Mexico. The child had been treated in Philadelphia for a life-threatening condition and was being transported home to Mexico’s Tijuana.
Visuals and video clips shared on social media showed that the plane crashed near a row of houses. Several firefighters and emergency responders rushed to the scene.
Flight data showed a small jet taking off at 6.06 pm (local time) from Northeast Philadelphia Airport and disappearing from radar about 30 seconds later after climbing to an altitude of 1,600 feet, reported AP.
Americans are still coming to grips with the mishap near Reagan National Airport earlier this week, when another heart-wrenching air crash has taken place. All 67 people board an American Airlines regional flight died after colliding with a military chopper, both of which plunged into the freezing waters of Potomac river.
