75 Dead in Colombia Plane Crash

A plane carrying a Brazilian soccer team crashed in Colombia on its way into Medellin’s airport late Monday night, killing at least 75 of those on board. There are six survivors. The British Aerospace-made short-haul plane, operated by charter airline LaMia, left Bolivia with 72 passengers and nine crew, before calling in an emergency midflight and disappearing off radar systems. Reports from survivors indicate possible electrical problems on the plane, though one said the craft ran out of fuel on the approach to Medellin. On the ground, Colombian search and rescue workers fought through the night in heavy rain and low visibility in a mountainous area outside the city, about 22 miles from the airport. Medellin’s José María Córdova International Airport confirmed the plane was carrying members of the Chapecoense soccer team from Brazil, who were due to play against Atletico Nacional in the two-game Copa Sudamericana final Wednesday. “What was supposed to be a celebration has turned into a tragedy,” Medellin Mayor Federico Gutierrez said. In a brief statement on its Facebook page, the Chapecoense soccer club said “may God accompany our athletes, officials, journalists and other guests traveling with our delegation.” Among the survivors are a defender who is reported to have spinal injuries, two goalkeepers, a team official, and a Bolivian flight attendant. Twenty-one journalists following the team were also aboard the doomed flight.