Colombian plane crashes near Venezuela border, killing 15 people, including members of Congress

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a small plane collision in a rural area ColombiaAll 15 people on board the boat, including a congressman, were killed Wednesday in Norte Santander province, authorities said.

State-owned airline Satena operates flightIt was confirmed that local officials in the community of Curacica were the first to inform authorities of the crash site.

Rescue teams were immediately dispatched to “assess the condition of the passengers.” However, the Colombian Ministry of Transport later issued a statement confirming the tragic outcome: “When the plane arrived at the scene, the authorities regretfully confirmed that there were no survivors.”

The plane, registration number HK4709, took off from Cucuta, the provincial capital, at 11:42 a.m. local time, bound for Ocaña, a city surrounded by mountains. Flights usually last approximately 40 minutes.

The aircraft, registration number HK4709, took off from Cucuta at 11:42 a.m. local time (Federico Parra/AFP via Getty Images))

According to a statement released by Sutner, the plane made its final contact with air traffic control minutes after takeoff.

Officials did not provide a cause of the crash but said an investigation would be conducted.

small airplane The airline said it had two crew members and 13 passengers on board, including Diógenes Quintero, 36, a member of Catatumbo’s House of Representatives. Carlos Salcedo, a social leader running for Congress, was among the victims.

Quintero is a well-known human rights defender in Venezuela’s border region, where he is from and where the accident occurred.

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A lawyer by profession, he was elected in 2022 as one of 16 deputies in the lower house to represent more than 9 million victims of Colombia’s decades-long armed conflict. The seats were established as part of a landmark 2016 peace deal between the Colombian government and the country’s largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

His party, the U, expressed remorse for his death and said he was “a committed leader to his region and deeply committed to service”.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said via social media: “I am deeply saddened by the deaths of these people. My heartfelt condolences to their families. May they rest in peace.”