Bogotá, Colombia – Authorities are searching for 15 people who are missing after a Colombian passenger plane disappeared from the radar on Wednesday morning.
The aircraft, operated by government airline Satena, was flying from Cúcuta to Ocaña, two cities in the North Santander department in eastern Colombia, when it went missing roughly fifteen minutes before landing.
Among those on board were two crew members and thirteen passengers, including a Colombian congressional representative and a candidate in upcoming elections, according to local officials.
“Flight NSE 8849, covering the route Cúcuta – Ocaña, which took off at approximately 11:42 a.m. and was scheduled to land around 12:05 p.m., reported its last contact with air traffic control at 11:54 a.m. today, January 28,” wrote Satena in a statement on Wednesday afternoon.
In a later communiqué, it said the plane had “exhausted its flight autonomy time” and had not activated its emergency locator beacon.
Search and rescue teams are actively looking for the wreckage, but the region’s dense jungle terrain makes such operations difficult.
On board the plane was Diogenes Quintero, who holds a “peace seat” in the Congress, reserved for victims of the armed conflict. Also on the flight was Carlos Salcedo Salazar, a candidate for the same seat in upcoming elections.
The cause of the plane’s disappearance is unclear, but local authorities have pointed to adverse weather conditions.
The route from Cúcuta to Ocaña was inaugurated last year and celebrated by Catatumbo locals.
Featured image description: A Satena airplane.
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons.
This article was originally published on The Bogotá Post and shared with permission.
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