Horrific news this. http://news.sky.com/story/plane-tho...an-football-team-crashes-in-colombia-10676541 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. A Reuters photographer said the British Aerospace 146 had split into two. The tail end had been destroyed, leaving only the nose and wings recognisable. Dozens of bodies had been covered with sheets, he added, as 30 rescuers, police and military personnel searched the site. The plane, which departed from Santa Cruz in Bolivia, had been carrying the Chapecoense football team, based in Chapeco in southern Brazil. 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." Club vice president Ivan Tozzo told cable channel SporTV: "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." The side, which entered Brazil's first division in 2014 for the first time since the 1970s, was preparing to play on Wednesday in the first of a two-leg Copa Sudamericana final against Medellin's Atletico Nacional. Atletico Nacional has tweeted to express its sympathies. It is not yet clear what caused the aircraft - operated by charter airline LaMia - to come down, but Colombia has been experiencing heavy rain and thunderstorms. The head of Colombia's civil aviation agency, Alfredo Bocanegra, said reported comments from a female flight attendant that the plane had run out of fuel were being evaluated. The main line of inquiry, however, is that there was an electrical failure. The bad weather has made access to the crash site difficult, causing the rescue operation to be suspended in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Low visibility meant an air force helicopter had to turn back. Local fire department chief Edison Gutierrez said: "If it's not four-wheel drive vehicles, you can't get in." Radar shows the plane was circling before it landed. According to local radio, the same plane had carried Argentina's national squad to a match earlier this month in Brazil, and had also been used by the Venezuelan national team. The president of Brazil, Michel Temer, has declared three days of mourning. "I express my solidarity in this sad hour during which tragedy has beset dozens of Brazilian families," he said. "The government will do all it can to alleviate the pain of the friends and family of sport and national journalism." FIFA President Gianni Infantino said in a statement: "This is a very, very sad day for football. "At this difficult time our thoughts are with the victims, their families and friends. "FIFA would like to extend its most heartfelt condolences to the fans of Chapecoense, the football community and media organizations concerned in Brazil." Barcelona and Real Madrid each held a minute's silence at their training sessions on Tuesday. The South American football federation has suspended all games following the news from Colombia.
very tragic news The competition organisers say Atletico Nacional has asked for Chapecoense to be awarded the cup, despite the matches not being played. nice gesture though
