A twin-propeller aircraft with 15 people on board crashed in a mountainous region near Colombia’s border with Venezuela on January 28, killing all passengers and crew.
Among the victims was Colombian lawmaker Diógenes Quintero and a local election candidate, Carlos Salcedo. The flight, operated by state-owned airline Satena, departed from Cúcuta and lost contact with air traffic control shortly before its scheduled landing in Ocaña.
Colombian authorities have confirmed there were no survivors. The area is known for its difficult terrain and is partly controlled by the National Liberation Army guerrilla group.
Key Points:
The tragedy results in the immediate loss of lives, including a serving legislator and a political candidate, impacting their families and constituencies.
It necessitates a complex and potentially dangerous recovery operation in a remote, conflict-prone region, requiring significant state resources.
The victims’ families face profound grief, while the nation loses political figures during an electoral period, potentially affecting local political dynamics.
The crash highlights persistent aviation safety risks in regions with challenging geography and underscores the vulnerability of domestic air travel.
The incident echoes a pattern of fatal air accidents in Colombia involving public figures, raising recurring concerns about regional air transport safety.
The crash underscores the perilous nature of air travel in Colombia’s complex regions, ending in another national tragedy that blends natural hazard with human loss.
Sources: AFP, Punch