Seventy-one passengers died late on Monday night after a plane crashed into the Colombian mountains minutes before landing in the city of Medellin. LaMia Flight 2933 included members of Chapecoense Real, the Brazilian football (soccer) team who were going to play the first of two games for the final of the Copa Sudamericana.
After initial inspection, Colombian authorities said that apparently the plane carrying the football team crashed as it ran out of fuel while trying to land. Civil aviation chief Alfredo Bocanegra said the plane "did not have fuel at the moment of impact".
"Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, and having been able to do an inspection of all of the remains and parts of the plane, we can affirm, clearly, that the aircraft did not have fuel at the moment of impact," Bocanegra told a news conference. "Therefore, we have begun a process to investigate to clear up for what reason this aircraft had no fuel at the time of impact," he added.
Reports also revealed a leaked tape in which the pilot can be heard giving warning of "total electric failure" and "lack of fuel". The pilot was also heard saying that he was flying at an altitude of 9,000ft (2,745m), just before the tape ended.
Chapecoense, one of the most loved football teams, lost 19 players in the plane crash. But, out of the survivors, two players remained in a critical but stable condition, according to Chapecoense. The goalkeeper of the club had one leg amputated and there is chance that he might still lose his other foot.
The authorities said the complete investigation might take some time.
