Plane crash in the Caribbean, major damage, 1 famous artist passed away

On the evening of March 17 (local time), an Aerolinea Lanhsa plane crashed into the sea after an acciden.t, killin.g at least 12 people. One of the unfortunate passengers was famous folk singer/songwriter Aurelio Martinez.

According to aviation official Carlos Padilla, the plane took off at dusk on March 17 (local time), heading to the port of La Ceiba on the Honduran mainland. However, the plane suddenly turned sharply to the right shortly after takeoff and crashed into the water.

Police said the incident, which occurred about 800 meters off the coast of Roatan, was caused by a “technical failure” on the British-made Jetstream 41. The airline has yet to officially comment on the incident.

A fisherman who witnessed the incident said the plane almost hit his boat while he was fishing.

There were a total of 18 people on board the plane, including 15 passengers and three crew members. Five people were lucky to survive and were taken to hospital, while the remaining 12 victims and one missing person are still being searched for by rescuers.

Roatan Fire Chief Franklin Borjas said the search and rescue effort was hampered by the rugged terrain. "It was very difficult to get to the crash site because there were 30 meters of rocks that made it impossible to walk or swim to the site. The divers assisting the rescue could not see anything due to the limited visibility underwater," he said.

Among the dead, according to rescuers, was a famous Garifuna musician in the 1990s, Mr. Aurelio Martínez Suazo. He was also a former congressman and member of the Garifuna ethnic community.

The sudden deat.h of Mr. Martinez at the ag.e of 55 was a shoc.k and a great loss for the people of Honduras. He was not only a respected artist, but also had a political career in the Central American country.

According to NPR (National Public Radio), Martinez was born on September 26, 1969, in a remote area in northern Honduras. As an adult, he moved to La Ceiba, the capital of Atlántida province (Honduras), to study music. He began his performing career in the late 1990s, working with Belizean (Central American) musician Andy Palacio, under the stage name Aurelio.

The duo pursues traditional Garifuna music — a fusion of West African, indigenous and other cultures along the Caribbean coast of Central America, which dates back to the 17th century.

In 2005, Martinez took a break from music to enter politics. He was the first Afro-Honduran to be elected to the country's congress.

In 2008, after Palacio unexpectedly passed away at the ag.e of 48, Martinez decided to return to his passion for music. He has participated in international tours, songwriting workshops for Garifuna youth, and appeared in several Tiny Desk concerts hosted by NPR in 2015.

According to The Guardian, Martine became a leading Garifuna performer after Palacio's deat.h, considered a cultural ambassador for Central America. In 2021, some of his songs were featured in a documentary about excavations by the German Archaeological Institute on the coast of Honduras.

His album Laru Beya was ranked in Los 600 de Latinoamérica, the best Latin American music albums of 2024 voted by Latin American music critics.

On social networks, many fans expressed their condolences for the talented but ill-fated male artist: "Rest in peace Aurelio Martinez, a wonderful singer-songwriter from Honduras. He was a shining beacon of Garifuna culture", "So sad! I just read the news and couldn't believe it", "Rest in peace!", "I went to a concert with him a few years ago. What a pity for a talent", "He is singing in heaven. I will never forget how wonderful his compositions were"...

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