An aircraft with 81 people on board, including members and staff of the Brazilian club Chapocoense Real, has crashed on its way to Medellin airport in Colombia on Tuesday, according to reports.
Chapocoense Real were on their way to Colombia to play in the final of the Copa Sudamericana, South America’s secondary club competition to play Medellin club Atletico National.
Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported that atleast 22 players were on board the crashed aircraft: Danilo, Follmann, Gimenez, Dener, Alan Ruschel, Caramelo, Marcelo, Filipe Machado, Thiego, Neto, Josimar, Gil, Sérgio Manoel, Matheus Biteco, Cleber Santana, Arthur Maia,Kempes, Ananias, Lucas Gomes, Tiaguinho, Bruno Rangel, Canela. Alan Ruschel has been reportedly rushed to the hospital.
Medellin’s Jose Maria Cordova International Airport had announced on Twitter early Tuesday that they had activated their Emergency Operations Committee following an incident involving the crash of the aircraft that was due to arrive from Bolivia.
Local news organisation Mi Oriente quoted Colombian authorities stating that they were responding to the crash, which took place in the municipality of La Union.
The head of the fire department told Mi Oriente that at least 10 people are injured. The plane is believed to have been completely damaged, and authorities fear there are several fatalities, though no official confirmation has been made.
Airport authorities later also released a statement saying that six people “may have survived” the crash. The final has been postponed following the crash.
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