Galveston: A small Mexican Navy aircraft conducting a medical transport for a 1-year-old child crashed near Galveston on Monday afternoon, resulting in at least five confirmed fatalities, according to official reports.

Rescue Operations and Casualties

The aircraft was carrying eight individuals—four Navy officers and four civilians—when it went down near the base of a causeway about 50 miles southeast of Houston. Mexico's Navy confirmed in a statement to The Associated Press that four people were successfully rescued from the wreckage. 

The identity of those killed or currently missing has not yet been established. Two of the civilian passengers were identified as representatives of the Michou and Mau Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to providing medical care for Mexican children suffering from severe burns.

Multi-Agency Response

The crash prompted an immediate mobilisation of local and federal resources. The Galveston County Sheriff's Office deployed dive teams, drone units, and a crime scene investigation team to the site.

"The incident remains under investigation, and additional information will be released as it becomes available," the sheriff's office stated, urging the public to avoid the area to facilitate emergency efforts.

Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) investigators were scheduled to arrive at the scene late Monday, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. The Mexican Navy has vowed a comprehensive internal investigation into what it described as a medical mission "accident."

Potential Weather Factors

While the exact cause of the crash remains under review, meteorologists noted that significant fog had blanketed the region. National Weather Service meteorologist Cameron Batiste reported that visibility dropped to approximately half a mile around 2:30 p.m. Monday, just before the accident occurred. These foggy conditions are expected to persist through Tuesday morning, potentially complicating ongoing recovery efforts in the popular beach destination.

With inputs from AP