Toluca, Mexico — A small plane crashed in central Mexico while trying to make an emergency landing on Monday, killing at least seven people, Mexico state civil protection coordinator Adrian Hernandez said.
The accident occurred in San Mateo Atenco, an industrial area three miles from Toluca Airport, about 31 miles west of Mexico City. The plane took off from Acapulco along Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Hernandez said the private plane registered eight passengers and two crew members, but hours after the plane crash, only seven bodies had been recovered.
He added that the plane apparently tried to land on a football field, but collided with the metal roof of a nearby warehouse, causing a major fire.
Cristobal Castañeda, Minister of Security of the State of Mexico, added that the warehouse was storing fuel and gas tanks, which led to the evacuation of everyone who was in the vicinity.
San Mateo Atenco Mayor Ana Muñiz told Milenio TV that the fire forced the evacuation of about 130 people in the area.
“It was like a fan got loose,” explained Octavio Contreras, a local resident. “Then we heard the explosion, the truck even moved, and then we saw smoke rising.”
The Public Prosecutor’s Office later announced that it had launched an investigation.
Copyright © 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.