Bogota: A small aircraft operated by Pacifica Travel crashed in northwestern Colombia, killing at least 10 people, authorities confirmed. The plane, which was en route from Jurado to Medellin, went missing on Wednesday and was located on Friday in a rural area of Urrao, a municipality in the Antioquia department. There were two crew members and eight passengers on board at the time of the crash, according to Xinhua news agency.
Carlos Rios Puerta, director of Antioquia's risk management department, stated, "Unfortunately, there are no survivors. We have 37 personnel working at the site, and we are now in the second phase, recovering the bodies and coordinating with judicial police." Adverse weather conditions are complicating the recovery efforts, as the operation is being conducted on the ground without helicopter support.
"We are making every effort to ensure the recovery process is swift and efficient," he added.
In response to the tragedy, Pacifica Travel issued a statement offering support to the victims' families. "We will stand by them, providing assistance and meeting every need arising from this tragic event."
The Colombian transport ministry and civil aviation authority also expressed their 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.
This incident follows another tragedy involving a Mi-17 transport helicopter of the Colombian Aerospace Force, which crashed during a training flight. According to the Ministry of Defense’s official Twitter account, the Mi-17-1V helicopter began losing control while transporting personnel and crashed near the village of Anori, Antioquia. Five soldiers and two civilians were injured and hospitalized.
The Colombian army aviation uses a fleet of 22 Mi-17 helicopters across several versions, including the 1V, MD, and V-5, which are used by mobile units and air assault units.
With IANS inputs