A small airplane crashed Wednesday in a rural space of the Norte de Santander division in northeast Colombia, killing all 15 folks on board, together with an area lawmaker, authorities stated.
Satena, the state-owned airline that operated the flight, stated native officers locally of Curasica notified authorities about the place the airplane had gone down, and a rescue group was deployed to “assess the situation of the passengers.”
Colombia’s Transportation Ministry later launched a press release saying that “as soon as the plane was situated on website, authorities regrettably confirmed that there have been no survivors.”
The plane, which has a registration variety of HK4709, took off at 11:42 a.m. native time from the airport in Cúcuta, the division’s capital, sure for Ocaña, a municipality surrounded by mountains, on a flight that sometimes lasts about 40 minutes.
The plane’s remaining contact with air visitors management got here minutes after takeoff, in response to a press release launched by Satena.
Officers didn’t present a trigger for the crash, however stated there could be an investigation.
The small airplane was carrying two crew members and 13 passengers, together with lawmaker Diógenes Quintero, who represents the victims of the interior armed battle in his area, the airline stated. Members of Quintero’s group have been additionally aboard the airplane, in addition to Carlos Salcedo, a candidate within the upcoming congressional elections in March.
“At this time, life took two of this group’s members: Diógenes Quintero, a person who devoted his life to serving these most in want, and Natalia Acosta, who all the time taken care of the whole group and crammed each area with happiness,” reads a press release from Quintero’s group posted to social media.
Quintero was a famend human rights defender within the troubled border area with Venezuela, the place he was from and the place the accident occurred.
A lawyer by occupation, he was elected in 2022 as one in every of 16 representatives within the decrease chamber to signify the greater than 9 million victims of Colombia’s decades-long armed battle. The seats have been created as a part of a landmark 2016 peace settlement between the Colombian authorities and the nation’s largest guerrilla group, generally known as the FARC.
His celebration, the U Occasion, expressed its regret for his dying and stated he was “a pacesetter dedicated to his area, with a agency vocation for service.”
Colombian President Gustavo Petro stated in a submit on X that he was “deeply sorry for these deaths.”
“My full solidarity to their households, and should they relaxation in peace,” he stated within the submit.
Colombian Vice President Francia Marquez stated in a social media submit that she mourned the dying of Quintero and her “heartfelt condolences exit to the households who’re mourning this irreparable loss that has plunged the whole nation into mourning.”
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