A singer has spoken of her shock after five members of her band were killed in a plane crash.
On Friday a small plane operated by Flamingo Air crashed in the Bahamas, killing all 10 people on board.
Undertaking a flight that usually takes under 20 minutes, the plane left Lynden Pindling International Airport in Nassau and was en route to San Andros when it crashed in North Andros, the Bahamian Aircraft Accident Investigation Authority said.
Da Pond Band, a popular Bahamian group, had been due to perform at an Independence Day celebration on Andros Island alongside a DJ.
Speaking to CBS on Tuesday, singer Shaniese Miller said: “I’m still shocked that they’re gone. I can’t believe it. They’re my family and I never expected that to happen.”
The singer was last with her band the previous week at a performance in Nassau.
“We were having so much fun, and after the second set, we were, they were just saying how they were so excited to go to Andros,” she said.
The band confirmed the members who died were Giovanni McKenzie, Mateo Winder, Rashad Storr, Tonique Gilot and Travis Johnson. Melvin Henfield, also known as DJ Fresh, was also on the flight.
On Friday another vocalist for the band – Shenia Roberts – had arrived at the island earlier in the day on the same plane and flown by the same pilot.
“You could tell it was an old plane. But we didn’t have any issues,” she said.
Speaking about her bandmates, she also told CBS News: “They were the people that I talked to in the morning, in the night. They were my friends, my confidants. And I was waiting on them.”
The singer also told local outlet Our News: “It’s been crazy. They were my people. They were the people that I saw every day of every week. I communicated with them every day. My whole life was my band and my music.”
Bahamian Prime Minister Philip Davis paid tribute to the victims in a statement posted on X, writing he was “praying for the families who are now facing unbearable grief”.
“This is a painful moment. The families affected deserve compassion, privacy, and support as the investigation proceeds,” he added.
The Bahamas Musicians and Entertainers Union also said: “Among the dearly departed are some of the talented and vibrant members of our entertainment community, including members of The Pond Band and a DJ.
“(Their) passion, dedication, and artistry touched so many lives and helped to enrich the cultural fabric of The Bahamas.”
Three other passengers who were not performers were also on the flight. However, their names are yet to be publicly released by officials.
CBS has reported that Bahamian investigators are looking into what led to the crash.
Flamingo Air suspended all flights after two emergency incidents happened on the same day, with Bahamian officials confirming the airline had a separate plane catch fire after landing in Nassau the same day as the fatal crash.
