On Monday, November 28, a plane carrying around 80 passengers crashed near Medellin, Colombia. On the plane were players of a newly famous Brazilian soccer team, The Chapecoense Club, around 20 journalists and various other crew and staff. Of the passengers, 71 have been reported dead, according to USAToday, with only six reported survivors. Rescue efforts are still underway in the area, although it has been slowed due to heavy rain.
At this time, it is still unclear what caused the crash. What we know is that the plane flew from its base, in Bolivia, and began to have difficulty at around 10 PM local time. According to CNN, the plane then flew in a circle and subsequently crashed. Although there was a noticeable lack of fire or signs of any technical issues at the site, it is being reported the plane called out that they were experiencing electrical failure. Sources also say the plane was out of fuel, giving another possible trigger to the crash. Officials have found the black box intact and hope to review the contents.
The soccer players of the Chapecoense club were set to face off in an epic battle of soccer against a top rated Colombian team in the first round of the South American Cup Finals but Instead, they are being mourned all over the world. The team, based in South Brazil, had just recently broken into the top division of Brazilian and South American soccer. Their recent success broke them out of obscurity and made many soccer enthusiasts slate the team as the ones to watch in both South American and International soccer. Their sudden breakthrough is why there was so many media personnel on the plane. All journalists onboard were chronicling the team’s rise to stardom and had packed the plane for their respective news outlets.
Fans Mourn the Loss of Their Team (Photo via Washington Post)
In the wake of the tragedy, fans of the team and the sport took their sadness to Twitter using the hashtag #ForcaChape. In addition to the outpour from fans, the mayor of Medellin asked that all participants of the memorial wear white and come together at the arena on November 30, the day the team was supposed to play. The Brazilian president himself called for a mourning period of three days in wake of the tragedy. Other teams like England’s Liverpool have also posted about the team using the hashtag, and even took a moment of silence during their own match.
The survivors of the crash are currently being treated at Medellin medical centers. There is no update on if there are any more survivors than the ones previously mentioned but officials remain hopeful. This story is still developing.