Bogota: At least 10 people have died after a small aircraft crashed in northwestern Colombia, authorities confirmed. The plane, operated by Pacifica Travel, was reported missing since Wednesday after it took off from Jurado for Medellin. It reportedly crashed in a rural area of Urrao, a municipality in the northwest Colombian department of Antioquia. Two crew members and eight passengers were on board at the time, Xinhua news agency reported.
“Unfortunately, there are no survivors. We have 37 personnel working at the site, and we are expediting the second stage, which involves recovering the bodies and coordinating with judicial police,” said Carlos Rios Puerta, director of Antioquia’s risk management department. Adverse weather conditions, he said, are complicating the recovery process, as it must be conducted on the ground without the support of helicopters.
“We are making efforts to ensure this process is as swift and efficient as possible,” he added. Pacifica Travel released a statement expressing its commitment to supporting the victims’ families. “We will be with them at all times, providing assistance and meeting every need arising from this tragic event.”
The transport ministry and the civil aviation authority also extended condolences to the victims’ families, who have gathered at Medellin airport. The civil aviation authority has launched an investigation to determine the cause of the crash.
Earlier, a Mi-17 transport helicopter of the Colombian Aerospace Force crashed during a training flight, reported official Twitter page of the Ministry of Defense of Colombia. During a training exercise to transport personnel, a Mi-17-1V helicopter began to lose control and crashed in a village near Anori, Antioquia. Five soldiers and two civilians were injured and hospitalised. The Colombian army aviation uses a total of 22 Mi-17 helicopters in the 1V, MD and V-5 versions, which are used by mobile units and air assault units.