A Colombian plane carrying Congressman Diogenes Quintero crashed near the Venezuelan border.
According to Al Jazeera, Colombia’s Ministry of Transportation on Wednesday, January 28, announced that the state-owned airline Satena’s flight with 15 people on board crashed near the eastern border.
The ministry also confirmed that no one aboard has survived the crash, adding, “The country is in mourning.”
Transportation Minister Maria Fernanda Rojas in a news conference expressed condolences with the families of the victims.
said, “We know that this situation is complex for any family involved, and I want to give the message that, on the part of the state, we are doing all the necessary tasks, protocols and procedures to address the situation and deliver responsible information.”
The cause of the crash is not revealed yet. However, reports have suggested that people killed in the crash included two crew members, Colombian congressional representative Diogenes Quintero and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate running in the upcoming elections.
The two crew members were identified as Capt. Miguel Vanegas and Capt. Jose de la Vega.
The other passengers have been identified as María Álvarez Barbosa, Rolando Penaloza Gualdron, María Díaz Rodríguez, Maira Avendano Rincon, Anayisel Quintero, Karen Parales Vera, Anirley Julio Osorio, Gineth Rincon, Natalia Acosta Salcedo, Maira Sánchez Criado and Juan Pacheco Mejía.
As per the local air traffic control, the altitude of the plane HK4709 en route from Cucuta to Ocana dropped 11 minutes before landing.
The aircraft disappeared in a remote, jungle-covered region, making it challenging to locate it and complicating the rescue operation.
