Brazil football team Chapecoense in Colombia plane crash
Image copyright TELEANTIOQUIA VIA TWITTER
The plane crashed in a mountainous area on its way to Medellin
A plane carrying 81 people, including a top Brazilian football team, has crashed on its approach to the city of Medellin in Colombia, officials say.
Reports say there are six survivors. The plane reported electrical problems.
The chartered aircraft, flying from Bolivia, was carrying members of the Chapecoense football team, airport officials said.
The team was due to play in the final of the Copa Sudamericana, against Medellin team Atletico Nacional.
The first leg of the final of the cup, South America's second most important club competition, was scheduled for Wednesday, but has now been suspended.
The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) said it was suspending "all activities".
The team were due to play in the first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana
Rescuers can only reach the crash site by land - local media picture
Unconfirmed reports suggest that at least two members of the team - Alan Ruschel and Danilo - may have survived.
The sports network Telemundo Deportes tweeted (in Spanish) that Ruschel was in shock but conscious and talking, and asked to keep his wedding ring and to see his family.
The team, from the southern city of Chapeco, was promoted to Brazil's first division in 2014 and reached the final last week after a victory against Argentina's San Lorenzo.
Reports say the British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane, operated by Bolivian charter airline Lamia and carrying 72 passengers and nine crew, crashed in Cerro Gordo in the municipality of La Union shortly before midnight local time (05:00 GMT).
According to an airport press release, it was reporting an electrical fault to the control tower.
Medellin's Mayor Federico Gutierrez described it as "a tragedy of huge proportions".
The Jose Maria Cordova de Rionegro airport, which serves Medellin, posted on its Twitter account: "Confirmed, the aircraft licence number CP2933 was carrying the team @ChapecoenseReal. Apparently there are survivors."
It later said in a statement that "all possible aid was being mobilised because six survivors are being reported".
Poor weather has meant that the crash site, in a mountainous area, is only accessible by land.
However, there was no fire on impact, which has given rescuers hope that more survivors may be found.
Conmebol said in a statement that its president, Alejandro Dominguez, was on his way to Medellin.
"The Conmebol family greatly regrets what happened. All activities of the confederation are suspended until further notice," it said.
Chapecoense football team
Updates from Reddit:
Apparently most, if not all, of the passangers were found alive. Hopefully we can praise an heroic pilot who managed to make a forced landing saving the life of 72 people.
Edit: Unfortunately I talked too soon. At least a dozen dead. 🙁
Edit 2: Fucking Telesur and their shitty reporting I should know never to trust a chavista network. AFP has confirmed the crash, but as many have rightfully pointed no dead confirmed.
Edit 3: If you know spanish you can hear a local radio with journalists on the field report the news here: http://alacarta.caracol.com.co/?autoplay=true
Edit 4: It seems the plane crashed not so far from a road, but in a place of quite hard access so they had to wait for 4x4 ambulances. The first ten injured are being transfered to a hospital, 4 of them were Chapecoense players.
Edit 5:
Despite the pilots being able to more or less being able to pull off the emergency landing, the terrain where the plane is + the weather is REALLY hurting their effort.
They have asked for local owners of 4x4 to help and luckily, enough Colombians volunteered and are now asking NO MORE 4x4 since they fear they will collapse the road near the airplane.
THERE HAS BEEN NO EXPLOSION. Coronel Piñeros confirmed this and since the pilots reported they were ranning dangerously low on fuel, it makes sense.
Edit 6: Emergency team deployed express deep gratitude for all the help provided by nearby civilians.
Edit 7: The plane split in half, journalists in the field still make focus on how difficult the access to the plane is. The medical director has confirmed everything is set to recieved the injured, but they still havent arrived.
Edit 8: At least 6 survivors left on the plane. In the Chapecoense website homepage there was a video of the whole team and executives prior to boarding the plane. Truly heart-breaking.
Edit 9: Alan Ruschel, player of chapecoense, is the first injured survivor to arrive to an hospital.
Edit 10: Folks, they are reporting rain is now not as strong as it was when the plane crashed, if the weather improves a bit more then they might be able to deploy helicopters.
The plane transported 21 journalists, 8 executives plus the managers and the team.
THE MATCH HAS BEEN SUSPENDED (Obviously, if they went ahead with it would have been a disgrace).
The president of the Conmebol is traveling to Colombia.
EDIT 11: NO CONFIRMED DEAD. A PARAMEDIC THAT HAS BEEN ON THE PLANE REPORTED THAT, ALTHOUGH MOST PEOPLE WERE INJURED, NONE WERE DECEASED.
EDIT 12: IF YOU SPEAK PORTUGUESE AND LEAVE IN COLOMBIA, GO TO ONE OF THE HOSPITALS, THEY ARE ASKING FOR YOU.
EDIT 13: FOLKS, I have to sleep, sorry for that.
Tl;dr: MOST, IF NOT ALL, PEOPLE ON THE AIRPLANE ARE JUST INJURED, THE AIRPLANE RAN OUT OF FUEL, THATS WHY THE PILOTS WERE FORCED TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE BIG PROBLEM IS THAT WEATHER HAS BEEN A BITCH. RAIN HAS NOW STOPPED, BUT THE WHOLE AREA IS MUDDY AND OF EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ACCESS. THEY ARE HOPING THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DEPLOY HELICOPTERS SOON. FOG IS SO THICK, ITS HARD TO SEE MORE THAN 4-5 METERS AHEAD.
The plane crashed in a mountainous area on its way to Medellin
A plane carrying 81 people, including a top Brazilian football team, has crashed on its approach to the city of Medellin in Colombia, officials say.
Reports say there are six survivors. The plane reported electrical problems.
The chartered aircraft, flying from Bolivia, was carrying members of the Chapecoense football team, airport officials said.
The team was due to play in the final of the Copa Sudamericana, against Medellin team Atletico Nacional.
The first leg of the final of the cup, South America's second most important club competition, was scheduled for Wednesday, but has now been suspended.
The South American Football Confederation (Conmebol) said it was suspending "all activities".
The team were due to play in the first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana
Rescuers can only reach the crash site by land - local media picture
Unconfirmed reports suggest that at least two members of the team - Alan Ruschel and Danilo - may have survived.
The sports network Telemundo Deportes tweeted (in Spanish) that Ruschel was in shock but conscious and talking, and asked to keep his wedding ring and to see his family.
The team, from the southern city of Chapeco, was promoted to Brazil's first division in 2014 and reached the final last week after a victory against Argentina's San Lorenzo.
Reports say the British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane, operated by Bolivian charter airline Lamia and carrying 72 passengers and nine crew, crashed in Cerro Gordo in the municipality of La Union shortly before midnight local time (05:00 GMT).
According to an airport press release, it was reporting an electrical fault to the control tower.
Medellin's Mayor Federico Gutierrez described it as "a tragedy of huge proportions".
The Jose Maria Cordova de Rionegro airport, which serves Medellin, posted on its Twitter account: "Confirmed, the aircraft licence number CP2933 was carrying the team @ChapecoenseReal. Apparently there are survivors."
It later said in a statement that "all possible aid was being mobilised because six survivors are being reported".
Poor weather has meant that the crash site, in a mountainous area, is only accessible by land.
However, there was no fire on impact, which has given rescuers hope that more survivors may be found.
Conmebol said in a statement that its president, Alejandro Dominguez, was on his way to Medellin.
"The Conmebol family greatly regrets what happened. All activities of the confederation are suspended until further notice," it said.
Chapecoense football team
- Founded in 1973.
- Promoted to the Brazilian top division, Serie A, for the first time in the club's history in 2014. Currently ninth.
- Were flying to play in the first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana - winner qualifies for Copa Libertadores, top continental competition in South America.
- Were underdogs - facing current Cope Libertadores holders Atletico Nacional
- Based in the Brazilian city of Chapeco in the state of Santa Catarina.
- Brazil's 21st biggest club in terms of revenue at 46m reais ($13.5m/£10.9m)
Updates from Reddit:
Edit: Unfortunately I talked too soon. At least a dozen dead. 🙁
Edit 2: Fucking Telesur and their shitty reporting I should know never to trust a chavista network. AFP has confirmed the crash, but as many have rightfully pointed no dead confirmed.
Edit 3: If you know spanish you can hear a local radio with journalists on the field report the news here: http://alacarta.caracol.com.co/?autoplay=true
Edit 4: It seems the plane crashed not so far from a road, but in a place of quite hard access so they had to wait for 4x4 ambulances. The first ten injured are being transfered to a hospital, 4 of them were Chapecoense players.
Edit 5:
Despite the pilots being able to more or less being able to pull off the emergency landing, the terrain where the plane is + the weather is REALLY hurting their effort.
They have asked for local owners of 4x4 to help and luckily, enough Colombians volunteered and are now asking NO MORE 4x4 since they fear they will collapse the road near the airplane.
THERE HAS BEEN NO EXPLOSION. Coronel Piñeros confirmed this and since the pilots reported they were ranning dangerously low on fuel, it makes sense.
Edit 6: Emergency team deployed express deep gratitude for all the help provided by nearby civilians.
Edit 7: The plane split in half, journalists in the field still make focus on how difficult the access to the plane is. The medical director has confirmed everything is set to recieved the injured, but they still havent arrived.
Edit 8: At least 6 survivors left on the plane. In the Chapecoense website homepage there was a video of the whole team and executives prior to boarding the plane. Truly heart-breaking.
Edit 9: Alan Ruschel, player of chapecoense, is the first injured survivor to arrive to an hospital.
Edit 10: Folks, they are reporting rain is now not as strong as it was when the plane crashed, if the weather improves a bit more then they might be able to deploy helicopters.
The plane transported 21 journalists, 8 executives plus the managers and the team.
THE MATCH HAS BEEN SUSPENDED (Obviously, if they went ahead with it would have been a disgrace).
The president of the Conmebol is traveling to Colombia.
EDIT 11: NO CONFIRMED DEAD. A PARAMEDIC THAT HAS BEEN ON THE PLANE REPORTED THAT, ALTHOUGH MOST PEOPLE WERE INJURED, NONE WERE DECEASED.
EDIT 12: IF YOU SPEAK PORTUGUESE AND LEAVE IN COLOMBIA, GO TO ONE OF THE HOSPITALS, THEY ARE ASKING FOR YOU.
EDIT 13: FOLKS, I have to sleep, sorry for that.
Tl;dr: MOST, IF NOT ALL, PEOPLE ON THE AIRPLANE ARE JUST INJURED, THE AIRPLANE RAN OUT OF FUEL, THATS WHY THE PILOTS WERE FORCED TO HAVE AN EMERGENCY LANDING. THE BIG PROBLEM IS THAT WEATHER HAS BEEN A BITCH. RAIN HAS NOW STOPPED, BUT THE WHOLE AREA IS MUDDY AND OF EXTREMELY DIFFICULT ACCESS. THEY ARE HOPING THEY WILL BE ABLE TO DEPLOY HELICOPTERS SOON. FOG IS SO THICK, ITS HARD TO SEE MORE THAN 4-5 METERS AHEAD.
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