Nine killed in Dominican Republic plane crash

Nine people, including Puerto Rican music producer “Flow La Movie” died Wednesday when a private plane crashed at the Las Americas airport in the Dominican Republic capital Santo Domingo, the aircraft’s owner Helidosa said.

Helidosa “regrets the tragic accident on one of its planes at Las Americas airport… in which tragically all of the crew and passengers died,” the company said in a statement.

Music producer Jose Angel Hernandez, who went by “Flow La Movie” and was known for hits like “Te bote,” was listed in the Helidosa statement among the victims.

The 38-year-old had become a well-known figure in the reggaetton, a music genre popular in the Caribbean that has also gained followers in the United States and around the world.

Local media said Hernandez’s partner and his son were among the dead, and that two of the dead were minors aged four and 13.

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“Jose Angel, THANK YOU FOR YOUR GOOD VIBES ALWAYS,” Colombian reggaeton musician J Balvin posted on Instagram.

“Rest in peace,” he said.

And fellow Puerto Rican reggaeton musician Don Omar also posted to Instagram.

“Sad, the loss of you and your family. Thank you for the opportunity to collaborate,” he said.

Security officials said the six passengers on board were American citizens, and that the crew was made up of two pilots and a flight steward.

The State Department said it was aware of reports that six Americans had died. “Due to privacy considerations, we have no further comment on specific cases,” an official said.

The Gulfstream plane crashed when it attempted to make an emergency landing due to a malfunction after taking off for the US state of Florida from another airport near the Dominican Republic capital, local media reported.

The Las Americas airport suspended activity for two hours following the crash but had since resumed normal operations.

AFP