A small missionary plane transporting relief supplies to hurricane-hit Jamaica has crashed into a lake north of Miami in southern Florida, killing its two occupants, authorities said.
The small plane crashed shortly before 10:20 a.m. EST in the 5000 block of NW 57th Way in Coral Springs, the local police department said in a statement.
The victims were identified Monday night by their Ignite the Fire Ministry as Alexander Wurm, 53, and his 22-year-old daughter, Serena Wurm.
The ministry statement, reported by local outlet WSVN, confirmed the pair were en route to bring humanitarian aid to Jamaica.
Alexander Wurm is the founder of the ministry, which said he was dedicated “to empowering youth through missions and evangelism across the Caribbean.”
Video of the crash site posted online shows it is a lake in a residential area of the city. Damage to the property of at least one home is seen.
The Coral Springs Police Department confirmed there were two fatalities.
The cause of the crash is under investigation.
The National Transportation Safety Board identified the aircraft in a statement as a Beech B100. It confirmed that it was investigating.
The Coral Springs Police Department is warning residents that they may notice an odor of fuel, and that while the majority of the fumes have evaporated, it may take time for the rest to dissipate.
“The city strongly recommends residents in the area to avoid being outdoors and keep doors closed for the remainder of the night,” it said.
Hurricane Melissa hit Jamaica as a powerful Category 5 storm late last month, killing more than 30 people and leaving a path of destruction in its wake.
According to the United Nations Development Program, more than 4.8 million tons of debris was left by Melissa across western Jamaica. It said tens of thousands of homes were damaged, particularly in St. Elizabeth and Westmoreland, where up to 90% of buildings in some areas were affected.
