TEGUCIGALPA, Honduras (AP) 鈥 A small commercial plane crash off the coast of Honduras left 12 people dead, including a well-known Garifuna musician, authorities said.
The Lanhsa Airlines flight crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff Monday night from the island of Roatan en route to the mainland city of La Ceiba.
It carried 17 passengers and crew, five of whom were rescued and hospitalized.
Police reported that the plane failed to reach full altitude and sank quickly after impact. Local fishermen rescued the survivors.
The Honduran Civil Aeronautics Agency said the crash is under investigation.
Among the victims was Aurelio Mart铆nez Suazo, a former member of Congress and member of the Garifuna ethnic group, which is of mixed African and Indigenous heritage. Mart铆nez Suazo also held U.S. citizenship. His representative, Helene Odile Guivarch, a French citizen, was among the survivors.
Mart铆nez Suazo was originally from Honduras鈥 Gracias a Dios region along the country鈥檚 Caribbean coast.
鈥淲e鈥檙e devastated,鈥 his nephew 脕ngel Aparicio Fern谩ndez Mart铆nez, also a musician who played with his uncle, said Tuesday. 鈥淗e was the family鈥檚 pillar.鈥
Mart铆nez Suazo was a member of Los Gatos Bravos before forming his own group Lita Ariran. His first album 鈥淕arifuna Soul鈥 took him to Europe, the United States and other parts of the world.
鈥淗e was the greatest model from Honduras of Garifuna music on a worldwide stage,鈥 his nephew said.
Humberto Castillo, president of the Association of Afro-descendants of the Sula Valley, called Mart铆nez Suazo 鈥渢he ambassador of Garifuna culture,鈥 noting that he spoke Garifuna and Miskito and composed music in both languages.
The victims bodies were taken from Roatan to the morgue in San Pedro Sula.
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