Plane crash in Colombia kills all 15, including lawmaker

The aircraft was a Beechcraft 1900D twin-propeller plane operating as Satena Flight 8895 on the domestic route from Cúcuta to Ocaña in the Norte de Santander region. It departed Cúcuta in the late morning and lost contact with air traffic control about 12 minutes into the flight, as it approached its scheduled landing around noon. The wreckage was later found in a remote, mountainous area near Curasica, Playa de Belén, with no survivors among the 13 passengers and two crew members.

Victims include lawmaker and candidate

Among those killed were Diógenes Quintero, a member of Colombia’s Chamber of Deputies, and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in the upcoming elections, both travelling with members of their teams.

Search and response

Colombian authorities, including the Air Force, civil aviation, and military units, launched search-and-rescue operations immediately after the plane disappeared from radar. Emergency services located the crash site and began recovery operations in challenging terrain. An investigation has been launched to determine the cause of the accident.