What We Know About the Plane Crash Carrying a Brazilian Soccer Team That Killed 76 People

By Ken MeyerNov 29th, 2016, 8:41 am
 

Rescue operations are underway after a charter plane crashed outside of Medellín, Colombia late last night.

The Lamia plane was carrying the Brazilian football team Chapecoense, and they were flying from a stopover in Bolivia to compete against Atletico Nacional for the final round of the Copa Sudamerica competition. Shortly after the plane took off, the pilot reported electrical problems on board, and the plane eventually went down in the mountains surrounding the Columbian city.

Of the 81 people that were on board, 76 of them are confirmed dead. Six people were pulled out of the wreckage, though reports indicated that one of them has died from their injuries. While it is not yet clear what happened, NPR reports that the plane might have run out of fuel.

“What we do know is that when the plane crashed, it broke into two parts and didn’t catch fire,” said reporter Pablo Medina Uribe. “So that’s why one of the theories, the one about the fuel running out, is getting some ground. But we still don’t know anything for sure.”

The five survivors have been taken to the hospital as disaster management team continues to look into the incident. The South American Football Confederation has cancelled their upcoming games until further notice.

[Image via screengrab]

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