Colombia’s Ministry of Transportation has confirmed that a flight carrying 15 passengers has crashed near the country’s eastern border with Venezuela, k!lling all 15 passengers on board
“The country is in mourning,” the ministry wrote on Wednesday in a statement online.
In a news conference, Transportation Minister Maria Fernanda Rojas offered her condolences to the families of those killed and assured the public that an investigation into the crash was ongoing.
“We know that this situation is complex for any family involved, and I want to give the message that, on the part of the state, we are doing all the necessary tasks, protocols and procedures to address the situation and deliver responsible information,” she said.
Much is still unknown about the circumstances surrounding the crash and its causes. But the death toll reportedly includes two crew members, a Colombian congressional representative, and a candidate running in the country’s upcoming elections.
The flight, operated by the government-run commercial airline Satena, was en route from Cucuta to Ocana, two cities in the North Santander department bordering Venezuela, when it left radar coverage.
Local air traffic control sources say the plane’s flight history shows a sudden altitude drop 11 minutes before it was expected to land in Ocana.
Earlier in the day, Rojas wrote in a social media post on X that the accident investigation directorate of the Civil Aeronautics administration was “gathering information regarding the loss of communication from aircraft HK4709”.
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