A private jet headed for the Bahamas fell from the sky and crashed in Greenacres, Florida, on Sunday afternoon, killing all nine people on board.
The impact and the explosion that followed left a large, burning crater and filled the area with smoke. Power lines came down, and debris was thrown across nearby properties.
The crash quickly became an evacuation emergency for people living in a Palm Beach County mobile home community close to the site. Palm Beach County officials said about 600 residents are expected to be relocated.
Roxana Pérez was out grocery shopping when the jet nosedived. She said her family described the moment of impact as hearing "a loud thunder." Speaking in Spanish, she said debris had landed on people's cars and homes. Her home was without power, she said, and she is among the hundreds who must leave while authorities investigate. "There is no light," she said. A reporter from 7News found her waiting near buses, hoping to be reunited with her family.
Natalia Rios does not live in the mobile home community but was caught up in the disruption as well. The area remained blocked off, and she could not get back to her own home. "You know, waiting to go home, just looking," she said.
District 3 Commissioner Joel G. Flores explained that the point of impact is on Military, the entrance to the mobile home park located just behind it. "That's a crime scene," he said, adding that investigators are working there and residents cannot stay. Two county shelters were placed on standby, and Palm Tran was ready to transport people. Flores said the move would not begin until the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office allowed residents to leave, but he expected them to be in a shelter by the end of the night.
As the investigation progressed, some residents were already being permitted to return. Donna Massa, who had waited hours without knowing what was happening, was allowed to go home. "Oh, relief, relief, yes," she said.
