Salvadoran military plane crashes in Pacific, 2 dead

A Salvadoran military plane crashed into the Pacific on Thursday, apparently killing all three people aboard, including the son of the defence minister.

The armed forces confirmed that the bodies of two victims had been recovered, and sea searches continued for the third.

Those confirmed dead were a crew member of the plane and Gerardo Merino, the son of Defence Minister Francis Rene Merino Monroy.

The armed forces did not explain why Merino was aboard the craft, saying only that the plane "was on a mission in the coastal area" when it crashed.

The crash occurred about 3 nautical miles off the coast and boats and aircraft were dispatched to help in the search effort.

President Nayib Bukele sent a message of condolence to the defence minister.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)