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A Satena Airlines aircraft traveling the Bogotá-Caracas route is pictured upon arrival at Simón Bolívar International Airport in Venezuela, on November 9, 2022. – AFP
BOGOTÁ: Colombian authorities announced on Wednesday that they have located a missing aircraft in the northeast of the country, which carried 15 people—unfortunately, with no survivors found, according to a military source and local media reports.
The plane, which included a lawmaker among its passengers, disappeared near Colombia’s volatile border with Venezuela. The incident involved the national airline Satena, alongside aerospace officials.
The aircraft, with 13 passengers and two crew members onboard, departed from the border town of Cúcuta and lost contact with radar control just before it was scheduled to land at Ocaña. The region is characterized by rugged mountains, unpredictable weather, and areas controlled by Colombia’s largest guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN).
The flight was expected to arrive around 12:05 p.m., according to a statement from the airline. Security and search efforts are underway, as confirmed by aviation authorities.
Authorities suspect that one lawmaker and one legislative candidate might have been on board.
“We are deeply concerned about the reports of the aviation accident,” said Wilmer Carrillo, a local legislator. “My colleagues Diogenes Quintero, Carlos Salcedo, and their teams were traveling at the time.”
Quintero is a member of Colombia’s House of Deputies, and Salcedo is a candidate in upcoming elections.
“We ask for patience and are waiting for an official statement from the appropriate authorities,” Carrillo added.
The aircraft in question is a Beechcraft 1900 twin-engine propeller plane operated by the private charter company SEARCA.
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