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TOLUCA, Mexico — A small plane crashed in central Mexico while trying to make an emergency landing Monday, killing at least seven people, Mexico State Civil Protection Coordinator Adrián Hernández said.
The accident took place in San Mateo Atenco, an industrial area three miles from the Toluca airport, about 31 miles west of Mexico City. The plane had taken off from Acapulco, along Mexico’s Pacific coast.
Firefighters and Red Cross workers arrive at the scene of a plane crash near Toluca Airport in San Mateo Atenco, Mexico, on Monday, December 15, 2025. (AP Photo/Ramsés Mercado)
Hernández said the private jet had registered eight passengers and two crew, but hours after the crash only seven bodies had been recovered.
He said the plane had apparently tried to land on a soccer field but hit the metal roof of a nearby warehouse, starting a large fire.
The warehouse stored fuel and gas tanks, forcing the evacuation of everyone in the vicinity, added Cristóbal Castañeda, Secretary of Security for the State of Mexico.
San Mateo Atenco Mayor Ana Muñiz told Milenio Television that the fire forced the evacuation of some 130 people in the area.
“It spun around like when a fan breaks loose,” explained Octavio Contreras, a local resident. “Then we heard the explosion, the truck even moved, and then we saw smoke coming out.”
The Attorney General’s Office later announced that it had launched an investigation.
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