About 600 Palm Beach County residents have been forced from their homes after Sunday’s Learjet crash, which killed all nine people on board and left a burning crater beside a mobile home community.
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The Learjet 60 went down around 12:50 p.m. Sunday near Military Trail and 10th Avenue North, in the Greenacres area. CNN reported the wreckage blocked the entrance to a mobile home park right behind the crash site, and county officials moved to relocate the people living there while investigators and emergency crews work the area.
“Our priority is evacuating the adjacent community right behind,” Palm Beach County Commissioner Joel Flores said. “We have about 600 people that we have to make sure that they have a shelter tonight, food. We have the Red Cross standing by to make sure that we provide those initial services.”
Two county shelters were opened for displaced residents, and Palm Tran, the county’s bus system, was standing by to transport people once law enforcement cleared the evacuation to begin. The Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said it is helping residents with temporary shelter and other essential needs.
Neighbors who saw the crash described debris slamming into their homes and fire spreading through the area. One resident told NBC 6, “Debris hit my house. Everything was on fire.”
Officials have not said whether anyone on the ground was hurt, and there is no timeline yet for when residents will be allowed back home.
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The Learjet crash has also shut down a stretch of Military Trail between Cresthaven Boulevard and 10th Avenue North indefinitely, and county officials are working on an alternate traffic pattern for drivers. John I. Leonard Community High School, which sits near the crash site, is closed Monday as crews continue working in the area.
The jet had taken off from Austin, Texas, and was headed to North Eleuthera in the Bahamas. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy confirmed all nine people aboard were killed. The victims have not been identified.
The NTSB is leading the investigation with help from the FAA and is scheduled to hold a media briefing in West Palm Beach on Monday. The Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who witnessed the crash or has information to call 561-688-3375.
