A passenger aircraft has crashed in northern Colombia, resulting in the deaths of all 15 individuals on board, as confirmed by Satena, the country’s state-run airline.
In a formal statement, Satena reported that its Beechcraft 1900 aircraft “suffered a fatal accident,” withholding further details. The wreckage has since been located in a mountainous region.
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Earlier reports from Satena indicated that communication with the aircraft was lost 11 minutes prior to its scheduled landing in the city of Ocaña, situated near the Venezuelan border, at 12:05 local time (17:05 GMT) on Wednesday.
According to the airline’s statement, Flight NSE 8849 departed from Cúcuta, a city approximately 100km (62 miles) northeast of Ocaña, carrying 13 passengers and two crew members.
An immediate search and rescue operation was initiated in the mountainous terrain, and a dedicated hotline was established for relatives of those aboard the flight.
Colombia’s armed forces are actively assisting in the search efforts within the region where the aircraft disappeared, an area that includes territories under the control of the Colombian ELN guerrilla group.
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