A local DJ and members of the well-known Bahamian music group Da Pond Band were among those killed in a fiery plane crash that claimed the lives of all 10 people on board on Friday.
The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union confirmed the tragic losses to the Caribbean country’s music scene in a statement on Saturday.
“Among the dearly departed are some of the talented and vibrant members of our entertainment community, including members of The Pond Band and a DJ,” the union said in a statement on X, without naming the victims.
“(Their) passion, dedication, and artistry touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas,” the union added.
Aviation sources told CBS News that the DJ was DJ Fresh.
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis paid his respects to the victims in a heartbreaking statement on X.
“Ann and I are praying for the families who are now facing unbearable grief,” Davis wrote.
“This is a painful moment. The families affected deserve compassion, privacy, and support as the investigation proceeds.”
Davis had initially said that one person survived, but later confirmed in a news conference that the person died from their injuries.
The aircraft was a Cessna 402 that departed Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau shortly after 1 p.m., headed for San Andros.
First responders, including the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the Airport Authority, and emergency medical personnel, rushed to the site, where the plane was engulfed in flames.
The tragedy was one of two aviation accidents on Friday, which prompted the Bahamian government to suspend Flamingo Air, a local airline, and launch a federal safety probe.
The first incident involved a Flamingo Air flight en route to Mayaguana that was forced to return to Nassau after the pilot raised a concern.
The aircraft subsequently caught fire on the runway after it landed and passengers had deboarded.
Additionally, the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) temporarily suspended Flamingo Air’s air operator certificate as a “precautionary safety measure.”
The Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority said that the plane “encountered difficulties” and crashed into dense brush.
Investigators from the Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority (AAIA) and inspectors from the Civil Aviation Authority Bahamas (CAAB) are at the site to determine the cause of the tragedy.
With Post wires
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