A devastating air tragedy occurred in Norte de Santander province in northeast Colombia on Wednesday after a small aircraft crashed in a remote rural stretch, killing all 15 people on board, state-run airline Satena said. Local authorities in Curasica alerted officials to the crash site which prompted rescue teams to rush in and "assess the condition of the passengers." According to the passenger list shared by the airline, the aircraft was carrying politician Diogenes Quintero as well along with members of his team. The list also included Carlos Salcedo, who was contesting for a Congress seat in the upcoming March elections.
Colombia's Transportation Ministry later confirmed the worst fears, stating that "once the aircraft was located on site, authorities regrettably confirmed that there were no survivors." The aircraft, registered HK4709, had taken off from the Cucuta airport at 11:42 am local time for a short 40-minute flight to Ocana -- a mountainous municipality in the region.
Final communication lost minutes after takeoff
According to Satena, the plane made its last contact with air traffic control just minutes after departure. Onboard were two crew members and 13 passengers, including Diogenes Quintero, a representative of victims of internal armed conflict in the area. The tragic loss has left the region in shock, with authorities now focusing on recovery efforts and investigations into what caused the fatal crash.
Who was Diogenes Quintero?
36-year-old Quintero was widely known as a prominent human rights defender in the conflict-ridden border region with Venezuela. A lawyer by profession, he was elected in 2022 as one of the 16 representatives chosen to advocate for victims of Colombia's decades-long armed conflict. Leaders of his party mourned his death and remembered him as a committed leader devoted to the welfare of his community. Colombian President Gustavo Petro also expressed grief on social media, stating, "I am deeply saddened by these deaths. My heartfelt condolences to their families. May God grant peace to their souls."
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