Jet company identifies victims of Philadelphia air ambulance crash

Six people, including a mother and her daughter, who were killed in a small plane crash in Philadelphia have been identified by the company operating the medical transport jet.

A seventh victim, who was not named, was on the ground at the time of the crash.

Philadelphia mayor Cherelle Parker announced on Sunday that the injury count had gone up to 22, with five people still in hospital and three of those in critical condition.

Investigators have not been able to locate the aircraft’s black box yet, which could provide clues into the cause of the crash, officials said.

A spokesman for Jet Rescue Air Ambulance disclosed the identity of victims to CBS News, the BBC’s US News partner. All were Mexican citizens, including the child onboard who was traveling to receive medical treatment.

The spokesman identified the victims as Captain Alan Alejandro Montoya Perales, co-pilot Josue de Jesus Juarez Juarez, Doctor Raul Meza Arredondo, Rodrigo Lopez Padilla, Valentina Guzman Murillo, and Lizeth Murillo Ozuna.

The crash on Friday happened just blocks from the Roosevelt Mall, a three-storey shopping centre in a densely populated part of Philadelphia, the fifth biggest city in the US.

The area is filled with terraced housing and shops. Many properties lost power after the crash.

Authorities were still assessing the extent of the damage to the residential area.

While they were not sure how many individuals had been displaced, city officials confirmed that 11 properties sustained significant damage.

A shelter set up at local high school had an average of six people per night, or fewer, officials said. Several businesses had also been affected.

Some streets around the crash site remain closed, but Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin Bethel said that some lanes could open to traffic on Monday.

The deadly crash is being investigated by the National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration with assistance from other local agencies.

NTSB officials say preliminary investigations revealed that the flight climbed to about 1,500 feet before going into a steep descent and making a high impact crash.

The entire flight was less than one minute, they said.

Investigators have found two engines, but the aircraft’s black box has not been located.

Mayor Parker said investigators were “poring over every bit of material that has been available”.

Residents are being asked to report any debris they find in the area.