GUWAHATI: A medical jet carrying a young girl returning home to Mexico after life-saving treatment in the US crashed into a residential area of northeastern Philadelphia on Friday, January 31, engulfing homes and cars in flames. The Learjet 55, carrying the girl, her mother, and a four-person crew, all Mexican nationals, crashed near the Roosevelt Mall shortly after takeoff around 6:07 PM.
The crash sent a fireball into the sky, leaving a trail of destruction. Eyewitnesses described a scene of devastation, with debris scattered across the street. According to media reports, at least six people were hospitalised. Firefighters issued an “all hands” call, bringing dozens of first responders to the scene.
The residents reported hearing a loud explosion, initially fearing an attack due to the intensity of the blast. One local resident described the impact as feeling like a minor earthquake. "The whole house shook. I thought something exploded in my basement," he said. Another witness recounted the horrifying scene: "There was just fire everywhere, and I saw… it was just awful.”
The young girl had been receiving medical care in the United States and was en route home to Mexico at the time of the accident. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation.
This incident occurred just days after a passenger jet collided with an Army helicopter near Washington DC’s Ronald Reagan National Airport, resulting in the deaths of all 67 people on board both aircraft. That crash was the deadliest aviation accident in the US in over two decades.