At least 15 people were killed after a small aircraft crashed in a rural area of Norte de Santander province in northeastern Colombia.
Authorities confirmed that all passengers and crew on board the plane died, including a serving member of Colombia’s House of Representatives.
The state-owned airline Satena said the aircraft lost contact with air traffic control shortly after taking off from Cúcuta en route to the mountainous town of Ocaña. Rescue teams later located the wreckage near the community of Curasica, where officials confirmed there were no survivors.
Among the victims were Congressman Diógenes Quintero, a prominent human rights advocate from the conflict-affected Catatumbo region, and social leader Carlos Salcedo, who was contesting for a seat in Congress.
Colombian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, while President Gustavo Petro and political parties have expressed condolences to the families of the victims.
