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A plane belonging to the Mexican Navy, which was transporting a young medical patient and seven others, crashed on Monday near Galveston, killing at least five people, US Coast Guard confirmed.

As rescuers combed the waters off the Texas coast, Mexico’s Navy said in a statement that four of the people aboard were Navy officers, and four were civilians, including a child. The names of those who died had not yet been made public.

Two of the people aboard were members of the Michou and Mau Foundation, which is a nonprofit that provides aid to Mexican children who have suffered severe burns.

The crash took place Monday afternoon near the base of a causeway near Galveston, along the Texas coast about 50 miles (80.5 kilometres) southeast of Houston.

Mexico’s Navy said in a statement that the plane was helping with a medical mission and had an “accident,” and promised to investigate the cause of the crash. It is also helping local authorities with the search and rescue operation, it said in a post on the social media platform X.

 

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The Texas Department of Public Safety said on X that teams from the Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board had arrived at the scene of the crash.

The Galveston County Sheriff’s Office said officials from its dive team, crime scene unit, drone unit and patrol were responding to the crash.

“The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available,” the sheriff's office said in a post on Facebook, adding that the public should avoid the area so emergency responders can work safely.

While Galveston is an island and a popular beach destination, it’s unclear if weather had a role to play in the crash, especially since the area has been enveloped by fog since the past few days, said Cameron Batiste, a National Weather Service meteorologist.

At about 2.30 pm on Monday, dense fog came in, obstructing about a half-mile visibility, he added. 

The foggy conditions, expected to persist through Tuesday morning, may also hamper search and rescue efforts.