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MEXICO CITY – A U.S. antheral hijacked a tiny level successful Belize connected Thursday, stabbing 2 passengers and a pilot, earlier 1 of the stabbed passengers fatally changeable him, officials successful Belize and the United States said. The level past landed safely.
The Tropic Air level was carrying 14 passengers and 2 unit members, and was flying from Corozal, a tiny municipality adjacent Belize’s borderline with Mexico, heading to the fashionable tourer destination of San Pedro erstwhile it was hijacked.
The level circled successful random directions for astir 2 hours arsenic the play unfolded successful the skies. The level was tailed by a constabulary chopper earlier touching down astatine an airdrome successful the coastal municipality of Ladyville.
Belize authorities declared a afloat exigency instantly aft the incidental started, astir 8:30 a.m. section time, according to a connection by the Belize Airport Concession Company.
“In the look of incomprehensible pressure, our aviator acted with bonzer courageousness and calm, guiding the craft to a harmless landing. His actions were thing abbreviated of heroic,” said Maximillian Greif, the CEO of the hose company.
The 2 wounded passengers and aviator were being treated astatine a infirmary for their injuries, officials said.
U.S. State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said astatine a quality briefing successful Washington that officials were inactive gathering accusation astir what occurred.
“Horrifying,” she said. “We are grateful, I deliberation each of america are, that that did not crook into a wide casualty lawsuit with I judge implicit a twelve radical connected the plane. Clearly we cognize a fewer details. We don’t cognize overmuch more.”
Chester Williams, Belize constabulary commissioner, identified the hijacker arsenic Akinyela Taylor and said helium was a U.S. subject veteran. U.S. officials could not corroborate the Belize constabulary commissioner’s connection that Taylor was a subject veteran.
One of the stabbed passengers managed to sprout astatine Taylor, who was killed, Williams said, adding that the rider was licensed to transportation a firearm and aboriginal turned his limb implicit to police. The rider was stabbed successful his backmost and suffered a puncture to his lungs, Williams said. He remains successful captious condition.
“We are praying for him,” Williams told reporters. “He’s our hero.”
An authoritative astatine Tropic Air, who spoke connected information of anonymity due to the fact that helium was not authorized to speech to journalists, identified the injured unit subordinate Howell Grange. He said the 2 injured passengers, 1 of whom changeable the hijacker, arsenic Fitzgerald Brown and Jair Castañeda. Their nationalities were not instantly known.
Williams said that Taylor was demanding to beryllium flown retired of the country, perchance to Mexico, and astatine 1 constituent wanted the level to onshore to adhd much fuel.
U.S. Embassy spokesperson Luke Martin successful Belize said Taylor besides insisted that helium beryllium taken to the U.S.
“We don’t cognize wherefore helium wanted to spell backmost to the United States,” Martin said.
U.S. officials said they did not cognize the motive for Taylor’s hijacking but were moving with Belizean authorities to find what happened.
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Watson reported from San Diego.
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