Brazilian football team’s plane crashes in Colombia killing 76

Seventy-six people have been killed after a plane carrying members of a Brazilian football team crashed in Colombia, police have said. Five others survived, including three players. The charter aircraft, carrying 72 passengers and nine crew, came down in a mountainous area as it approached Colombia’s second-largest city, Medellin. Photographs from the scene near the small town of La Union showed dozens of bodies laid out and covered with sheets. The plane, which departed from Santa Cruz in Bolivia, had been carrying the Chapecoense football team, based in Chapeco in southern Brazil.

We are very sad, gathered here in the locker room of our stadium. There are a lot of people crying in our city. We could never imagine this. Chapecoense is the biggest reason for joy here.

Club vice president Ivan Tozzo

Colombian authorities named the three footballers who survived as Alan Ruschel, Jakson Follmann, and Neto. Another player, Danilo, had initially survived too, but later died. The other two people who survived were passengers Rafael Correa Gobbato and Ximena Suarez. Concerning the condition of 27-year-old defender Ruschel, a doctor said: “We still don’t have a final diagnosis. We are waiting for lab results and X-rays to make a decision and do a (surgical) procedure.” It was reported in Brazil that 21 journalists had been on board the plane. In a statement on its Facebook page, the club said: “May God accompany our athletes, officials, journalists and other guests travelling with our delegation.”

I feel profound sadness. The only thing I can ask is prayers for the companions who were on the flight.

Chapecoense player, Alejandro Martinuccio who has been sidelined through injury and was not on the flight

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