Chapecoense, plane crash killing 76 of the 81
First-division Brazilian soccer team to an historic game crashed in north western Colombia on Monday night, killing 76 of the 81 people aboard, authorities said.
Six people initially survived the crash, but one of them died a short time later, authorities said. The 72 passengers included members of Chapecoense, a Brazilian soccer team that South America’s most prestigious tournaments, the team had been scheduled to play in the Copa SudAmerica finals against Atletico Nacional on Wednesday in Medellin.
“The pain is terrible. Just as we had made it, I will not say to the top, but to have national prominence, a tragedy like this happens,” club vice-president Ivan Tozzo told Globo SportTV. “It is very difficult, a very bad tragedy.”
Juan Carlos de la Cuesta, president of Atletico Nacional, expressed his club’s support and solidarity with Chapecoense. The tragedy stunned the soccer-mad nation of Brazil. President Michel Temer said he was mobilizing the foreign affairs and defense ministries to assist families of the victims. Brazil’s embassy in Bogota was reaching out to families, and planes were made available to transport them to Colombia and to aid in the search and rescue.
“The government will do everything possible to ease the pain of the family and friends of sport and national journalism.
The plane took off from Bolivia and was flying over the town of La Union at around 10 p.m. the crew declared an emergency, according to a statement from the José María Córdova International Airport in Rionegro, Colombia. The plane crashed moments later a mountainous area in the Antioquian municipality, about 22 miles from the airport, at the city of Medellin.
“May God accompany our athletes, officials, journalists and other guests traveling with our delegation,” the club said in a statement on social media Facebook page. The club also announced that one of its goalkeepers, Danilo, had initially survived the crash but later died.
Chapecoense defender Alan Ruschel, 27, was in a stable condition after being pulled from the plane’s wreckage, said Alfredo Bocanegra, head of Colombia’s civil aeronautics agency. Two other players, journalist and a flight attendant Ximena Suarez survived, where were taken to nearby hospitals.
Rescue efforts are underway and authorities are asking residents to stay away from the crash site.
The South American soccer federation canceled games until further notice and said its president, Alejandro Dominguez, was travelling to Medellin.
Gianni Infantino, president of FIFA, the global overseer of the sport, expressed shock and sadness, “This is a very, very sad day for football,” Infantino said. “At this difficult time our thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends. FIFA would like to extend its most heartfelt condolences to the fans of Chapecoense, the football community and media organizations concerned in Brazil.”
The plane is a British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane. It is not clear what caused the crash, but Colombia had been hit by heavy rains and thunderstorms around the time of the tragedy.
#FORCACHAPE Condolences!
