A plane carrying members of Brazil’s Chapecoense football team has crashed in central Columbia, killing 76 people including 22 players, 21 journalists and the plane crew. According to reports, the plane lost contact with ground controllers around midnight and tried to make a forced landing.
Colombian Police have just confirmed that of the 81 people on board the plane, 76 people have died and five are still alive. Earlier reports claimed there were six survivors, but sadly, one of the six later died in hospital.
The complete list of the dead has not yet been released by authorities. Varying reports have suggested that defender Alan Ruschel, along with goalkeepers Jackson Follman and Marcos Danilo Padilha, may have survived, as well as physiotherapist Rafael Gobbato. The following snap from social media shows Danilo and Ruschel were sat next to each other on the flight.
The last known picture from inside the plane, which has been shared widely on social media, shows players, officials and crew members preparing for takeoff.
The team’s vice president, Ivan Tozzo, told SportTV: “There are a lot of people crying in our city, we could never imagine this. Chapecoense is the biggest reason for joy here.”
The team was heading to Columbia for the final of the Copa Sudamericana, one of the biggest competitions in South American football, against Columbian team Atletico Nacional. The South American Football Confederation has announced it’s suspending all activities following the crash.
