A plane has crashed in northeast Colombia killing everybody on board.
All 15 people travelling on the state-run airline flight died when the aircraft went down near the Colombian-Venezuelan border on Wednesday, air force sources and local media reports.
The fatalities included lawmaker Diogenes Quintero and Carlos Salcedo, who was standing for Congress in elections scheduled for March.
The twin-engined Beechcraft 1900 turboprop was being operated by Satena, a carrier run by the Colombian state, on a short route between Cucuta and Ocana when the incident occurred.
Contact with the aircraft was lost roughly a dozen minutes following its departure, according to the airline.
The plane had taken off shortly before midday from Cucuta, located on the Venezuelan border, with Ocana as its intended destination.
Satena confirmed that flight NSE 8849 departed at approximately 11.42am local time and was expected to arrive at around 12.05pm.
Air traffic controllers received their final communication from the aircraft at 11.54am.
The carrier subsequently said the aircraft’s emergency beacon had failed to activate.
Radar information indicated the plane’s last known location fell between the municipalities of Hacarí and La Playa de Belén in the Catatumbo region.
The crash site lies within a highland area where coca plants, which form the base ingredient for cocaine production, are extensively cultivated.
Unlawful rebel factions maintain an active presence throughout this terrain.
Among these groups operating in the region are the National Liberation Army and elements of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that have broken away from the main organisation.
The mountainous Catatumbo area presents challenging geography for aviation. Representatives for Quintero confirmed in a statement that both the lawmaker and his assistant had been travelling on the aircraft when it went down.
