A domestic passenger flight operated by Colombia’s state-run airline Satena crashed in a mountainous region of northern Colombia on Wednesday, killing all 15 people aboard, the airline has confirmed.
Satena reported that the Beechcraft 1900 aircraft “suffered a fatal accident” but did not provide further details. The wreckage has since been located in a rugged area near the Venezuelan border.
Among those on the official passenger list were regional lawmaker Diógenes Quintero Amaya and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in upcoming congressional elections.
Contact with the plane was lost at approximately 11:53 a.m. local time, just 11 minutes before its scheduled landing in the city of Ocaña in Norte de Santander department.
Governor William Villamizar told local media that seven bodies have so far been recovered from the crash site. Search efforts involving Colombia’s armed forces are underway in an area where the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group is known to operate.
A dedicated hotline has been established for relatives of the passengers and crew as the investigation into the cause of the crash begins.
