An aviation accident in northeast Colombia claimed the lives of all 15 people aboard on Wednesday, among them a local lawmaker, state-run airline Satena said.
The Beechcraft 1900 turboprop, equipped with two engines, departed shortly before midday from the border city of Cúcuta on a brief journey to Ocaña, reports Reuters.
Satena said communication with the aircraft was lost roughly 12 minutes after takeoff. The airline said it has not yet determined the cause of the crash and noted that the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter did not send a signal.
Those on board included lawmaker Diogenes Quintero along with members of his team. The passenger manifest also listed Carlos Salcedo, a congressional hopeful ahead of elections scheduled for March.
Photographs broadcast by local outlets showed wreckage at the crash site, with the fuselage appearing heavily damaged.
The aircraft went down in a rugged, mountainous zone known for coca cultivation, the base ingredient for cocaine, and an area where armed groups, including the National Liberation Army and a breakaway faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, are active.
