‘It’s the moment to be united’: Northeast Philly residents begin to process Friday’s deadly plane crash

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Less than 24 hours after a medical jet crashed in Northeast Philadelphia, killing six people aboard and at least one other person on the ground while injuring at least 19 others, area residents are processing the tragedy.

Sonia Zhuño was in the T-Mobile store with her husband when they heard a loud bang. At first, she thought it was an earthquake. Then she saw the flames.

“I thought it was a missile because everything was on fire,” she said. “For me, truly, [it was] like the end of the world.”

Zhuño and her husband hid in the store until the police came and escorted them out.

“It was horrible,” she said. “People screamed and cried.”

Manuel Almonte, who lives in the area, said his daughter was working at The Children’s Place at Roosevelt Mall and was “very scared” when she called him after the explosion.

“I’m not gonna say the word ‘lucky,’” Almonte said. “But I’ll say, I’m one of the grateful ones. I’m grateful that nothing happened to my daughter.”

Almonte said his daughter spent the night at his house because she was shaken by what happened. He said he hopes everyone impacted will get support going forward. For his daughter, he said he plans to make sure she can access therapy if she needs it.

“My prayers goes out to everyone that was impacted, either emotionally, because, you know, it might be some people that are dead and some people injured, but emotionally by seeing the video, the people who was around the impact when it happened, it’s gonna be on their mind for quite a while,” he said. “It’s a tragedy.”

Zhuño also said she hopes impacted community members are provided with “psychological support.”

“I recommend all the people in Philadelphia that we stay united,” she said. “It’s the moment to be united, it’s the moment to embrace each other and support each other.”

City and state officials said Saturday that damage assessment and clean-up is ongoing, and it could be “days or more” until the full extent of the casualties and injuries is known. Officials urged residents to call 911 if they see debris and to refrain from touching or getting close to debris.

The six passengers onboard the plane were all Mexican nationals, and included a pediatric patient and her mother en route to Tijuana, Mexico, with a planned stop in Missouri.

Carlos Obrador Garrido, head consul at the Mexican Consulate of Philadelphia, told WHYY News the consulate has been working with city officials from the first moment that they learned that the passengers onboard were Mexican nationals.

“The city has given us complete support,” he said.

The consulate has been communicating with victims’ family members, but they do not yet have a confirmed list of names for the victims. They are waiting for the city’s forensic authorities to confirm their identities.

Obrador Garrido said the consulate will work together with authorities to facilitate repatriation of victims’ remains to their families.

For area residents affected by the crash, Philadelphia’s Office of Emergency Management and the American Red Cross of Southeastern Pennsylvania have set up a shelter offering food, resources, and a place to stay at Samuel Fels High School at 5500 Langdon Ave.

A spokesperson for the Red Cross said four people stayed at the shelter overnight Friday. On Saturday, others came in for lunch. The shelter is currently open for anyone impacted by the crash who wants to go there to seek information.

Affected residents are also asked to call 1-800-Red Cross to report property damage or for help filing a claim.

Red Cross Philadelphia said they have what they need at this time and asked people to refrain from bringing material donations.