Tragedy as 5 bandmates die in Bahamas plane crash as Da Pond Band singer shares grief | World | News

Ten people have died in a horror plane crash in the Bahamas on Friday, and it has now emerged five of the fatalities were members of the same band. Da Pond Band – known for performing Caribbean music – had been due to perform at an Independence Day celebration on Andros Island alongside a DJ.

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. 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.

Da Pond Band singer Shaniese Miller has said she is “still shocked” after five members of her band were killed in a plane crash.

Speaking to CBS, 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.

She said: “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.”

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.”