76 people have been confirmed dead after a plane carrying 81 people, including members of a Brazilian football team, crashed near the Colombian city of Medellin, after experiencing electrical failures.
“Six people were rescued alive, but unfortunately one died. The rest of the occupants unfortunately died. The tragic toll is 76 victims,” a police spokesperson told journalists.
Brazilian football club Chapecoense Real, who were supposed to play against Colombia’s Atletico Nacional tomorrow in the South American Cup finals, are some of the 72 passengers and nine crew on board, officials said.
Five people survived including one 25-yr-old player.
The LAMIA airlines flight originated in Brazil and had made a stop in Santa Cruz, Bolivia before continuing on to Colombia.
The airport statement said the plane reported an emergency at 4am Irish time. “It declared it had electrical failures.”
It went down about 50km from Medellin, Colombia’s second largest city, in an area called Cerro Gordo.
It’s believed the plane possibly ran out of fuel.
This story is developing.