Plane crash in northern Colombia has resulted in the tragic loss of all 15 individuals on board, which includes a lawmaker and an election candidate
All 15 people on board are killed when a passenger plane crashes in northern Colombia; the debris is discovered in a mountainous area.
All 15 individuals on board a passenger plane have been killed when the aircraft crashed in northern Colombia, the country’s state-run airline Satena says.
In a statement, Satena said its Beechcraft 1900 aircraft “suffered a fatal accident” while en route to the city of Ocaña, near the Venezuelan border. The airline provides no immediate details on the cause of the crash but acknowledges the debris has been located in a remote hilly area.
Flight NSE 8849 had taken off from the city of Cúcuta, roughly 100 miles north-east of Ocaña, carrying 13 passengers and two crew members. On Wednesday, around eleven minutes prior to its planned landing at 12:05 local time, contact with the aircraft was lost.
Among those dead was Colombian politician Diógenes Quintero Amaya and Carlos Salcedo, a contender in next congressional elections. A message released on Quintero’s Facebook site described him as “a man who throughout his life served those who needed it most.”
Quintero occupied one of 16 unique seats in the Colombian parliament that are designated for victims of the nation’s protracted war between the government and rebel organizations, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), which has since been demobilized.
Colombia’s armed forces are helping with search and recovery efforts in the accident site because of the challenging terrain and security threats. The ELN guerrilla group is believed to have an influence in several parts of the area.
Governor of Norte de Santander, William Villamizar, tells local media Semana that seven bodies have so far been recovered. To give family members of individuals on board information and support, a hotline has been established.
As investigations into the crash’s cause get underway, Colombian President Gustavo Petro posts his condolences on social media, saying he is “deeply sorry for these deaths.”
