- Fifteen people have been confirmed dead after a tragic plane crash in eastern Colombia near the Venezuelan border
- Communication was lost with NSE Flight 8849 minutes before its scheduled landing in Ocaña, including a prominent member of parliament
- President Gustavo Petro and the Minister of Transportation offered their condolences; the accident investigation is ongoing
Colombia – About fifteen people have been confirmed dead after a fatal plane crash occurred near the border of the eastern country with Venezuela.
Source: Twitter
Colombia’s Civil Aviation Authority said there were no survivors after a plane carrying 13 passengers and two crew members crashed on Wednesday, January 28.
Who was Diógenes Quintero Amaya?
The BBC reported that the state-run airline, Satena, said its plane, a Beechcraft 1900, had “suffered a horrific accident” but gave no further details.
The airline revealed that communication with the plane was lost 11 minutes before landing in the city of Ocañanear the Venezuelan border, at 12:05 local league time (17:05 GMT).
According to the airline, Flight NSE 8849 took off from the city of Cúcuta, about 100 kilometers (62 miles) northeast of Ocaña, carrying 13 passengers and two crew members.
The official passenger list includes congressman Diógenes Quintero Amaya and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in the upcoming congressional elections.
Quintero’s communications team said they lost contact with him and his assistant after the plane disappeared.
Quintero, the representative of the special peace seats—16 parliamentary seats for victims of violence—had served in the national assembly since 2022.
What did the president of Colombia say about the plane crash?
The President of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, issued a statement on social networks, expressing his condolences to the families of the victims of the plane crash.
“I am deeply saddened by these deaths. I am so sorry for their families. May they rest in peace,” Peter said.
In a press conference, Transport Minister Maria Fernanda Rojas also expressed her condolences to the families of those killed and assured the public that the investigation into the accident is ongoing.
“We know that this situation is difficult for any family involved, and I want to send a message that, on the government’s side, we are making every effort, protocol and procedures to handle the situation and provide responsible information,” Rojas said.
How many people died in the Bangor plane crash?
This accident comes a few days after a private plane with eight people crashed minutes after take off from Bangor International Airport in Maine, USA.
Bangor International Airport said in a statement that the tragic incident occurred at 7:45 pm on Sunday, January 25, when a Bombardier Challenger 600 crashed and burst into flames.
The United States Aviation Administration (FAA) issued a statement confirming that seven people died in the crash, while an eighth person, one of the flight crew, suffered serious injuries.
Multiple fire and rescue units, including the 101st Maine Air National Guard and units from Bangor and neighboring towns (Levant, Holden, Brewer, Hermon, Eddington, Hampden, Glenburn, Hudson, Orrington, and Orono), as well as Bangor Police and airport personnel, responded to the incident.
The airport was temporarily closed for the investigation, causing the cancellation of flights and rerouting.
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