Jet crash in Durango, Mexico injures 85

Reuters - As many as 85 people were injured on Tuesday (July 31), two critically, when an Aeromexico-operated Embraer passenger jet crashed soon after takeoff in Mexico's state of Durango, but authorities said there were no fatalities. The mid-sized jet was almost full, with 97 passengers and four crew members aboard, when it came down at around 4 p.m. local time (2100 GMT), Gerardo Ruiz Esparza, Mexico's minister for communications and transportation, wrote on Twitter. TV images showed the severely damaged body of the plane after it came to rest in scrubland and a column of smoke rose into the sky. The plane made an emergency landing about six miles (10 km) from the airport, Alejandro Cardoza, a spokesman for the state's civil protection agency, said on local television. Other authorities said the crash was close to the airport. The operator of Durango airport, Grupo Aeroportuario Centro Norte, attributed the crash to bad weather conditions, citing preliminary reports. The plane had barely taken off when it felt like it was hit by a strong air current, one passenger told network Televisa. Aeromexico said on Twitter that flight number 2431 was an Embraer 190 bound for Mexico City when it crashed.