Plane carrying aid to Jamaica crashes into Florida lake

A desperate search for survivors has been launched after a small plane carrying hurricane relief supplies to Jamaica crashed into a lake.

Authorities have said just minutes after takeoff from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, the aircraft crashed in Coral Springs, Florida.

The plane took off at 10.14am local time, according to a spokesperson for the City of Fort Lauderdale, which owns and operates the local airport.

Five minutes later, Coral Springs police and firefighters arrived at the crash scene, reported the Beaumont Enterprise.

Coral Springs Deputy Fire Chief Mike Moser stated: ‘We do have our police department here with their divers as well, they’ll be conducting a recovery mission shortly.

‘We were unable to find any victims or any large pieces of fuselage on our initial dive. We have not found an entire plane yet, we believe that it may be broken into smaller pieces, we don’t know yet of course, this is very preliminary.’

Emergency services from Coral Springs and Coconut Creek are on the scene.

It is currently unknown how many people were aboard the plane and no casualties have been announced yet.

In their latest update, the police said ‘no homes sustained major damage.’

Jamaica has recently been relentlessly hit by Hurricane Melissa as the Category 5 storm left a trail of destruction behind itself.

The Caribbean American community in Broward County, where the plane took off from, had collected relief supplies to help hurricane efforts.

The plane that crashed today was, reportedly, carrying such supplies to assist Jamaica.

The United Cajun Navy, a volunteer-based nonprofit organisation focused on providing disaster relief and support during emergencies, posted their prayers on Facebook.

The nonprofit said in the post: ‘Our hearts and prayers go out to everyone affected by the tragic plane crash in Florida carrying hurricane relief supplies bound for Jamaica.

‘It’s a devastating reminder of the risks faced by those answering the call to serve flying into disaster zones, crossing borders, and pushing through unimaginable conditions just to help others.

‘These are the same dangers the United Cajun Navy and our partners face every time we deploy into foreign countries after catastrophic storms.

‘We honor the bravery of those who step forward, knowing the risks, and we pray for strength and healing for all involved.’

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