Plane Crash Disaster Kills 75 People, Including A Brazilian Soccer Team

A plane carrying Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense has crashed into a Colombian hillside, killing 75 people in total.

The ABC reports the incident is Colombia’s worst air disaster in two decades. Team Chapecoense were en route to face Atletico Nacional of Medellin in the first leg of Wednesday’s Sudamericana final. Brazilian news organisations say 21 journalists were on board to cover the match.

It is reported the plane went down around 10:15pm (local time) on Monday night with 72 passengers and a crew of nine on board. It smashed into a mountainside, and the tail end is said to have virtually disintegrated.

According to Medellin airport officials, reports were received of electrical problems and an emergency was declared just minutes earlier, as it neared its destination.

Alfredo Bocanegra, Colombia’s civil aviation head, said there were 75 confirmed fatalities and six injured survivors. Soccer matches were cancelled around South America, and Brazil declared three days of mourning.

🙏🏻Prayers for loved ones of #braziliansoccerteam and the country of Brazil. 🇧🇷 the United States mourns with you 💔

— August Maturo (@AugustMaturo) November 29, 2016

Columbian president Juan Manuel Santos tweeted his condolences. “Solidarity with the families of the victims and brazil,” he said.

Photo: ABC News