Bogota, Jan 11 (NationPress) A tragic incident has claimed the lives of at least 10 individuals after a small aircraft went down in northwestern Colombia, according to official reports.
The aircraft, operated by Pacifica Travel, was reported missing on Wednesday while flying from Jurado to Medellin. It ultimately crashed on Friday in a rural region of Urrao, located in the northwestern Antioquia department. At the time of the incident, two crew members and eight passengers were on board, as reported by Xinhua news agency.
“Sadly, there are no survivors. We have 37 personnel on-site, working diligently to expedite the second phase, which involves the recovery of bodies and coordination with judicial authorities,” stated Carlos Rios Puerta, director of Antioquia's risk management department.
He noted that adverse weather conditions are hindering the recovery efforts, as operations must be conducted on the ground without the aid of helicopters.
“We are striving to make this process as swift and effective as possible,” he added.
In a statement, Pacifica Travel expressed its commitment to assisting the families of the victims. “We will stand by them at all times, providing support and addressing every need that arises from this unfortunate event.”
The transport ministry and civil aviation authority also expressed their condolences to the families of the victims, who have gathered at Medellin airport. The civil aviation authority has initiated an investigation to ascertain the cause of the crash.
In a related event, a Mi-17 transport helicopter belonging to the Colombian Aerospace Force crashed during a training mission, as reported on the official Twitter account of the Ministry of Defense of Colombia.
During a personnel transport training exercise, a Mi-17-1V helicopter began to lose control and crashed in a village near Anori, Antioquia. Five soldiers and two civilians suffered injuries and were hospitalized.
The Colombian army aviation operates a fleet of 22 Mi-17 helicopters in various versions, which are utilized by mobile units and air assault teams.
