All 15 Aboard Die in Plane Crash Near Venezuelan Border

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Columbia:A small passenger aircraft went down on Wednesday in a remote part of northeastern Colombia, killing everyone aboard, officials confirmed. The twin-engine turboprop, operated by the state-owned airline Satena, was en route from Cúcuta near the Venezuelan border to Ocaña when it lost contact with air traffic control just minutes after departure.

Search teams later located the wreckage in a sparsely populated rural area of Norte de Santander province. Authorities said there were no survivors among the 15 people on board including 13 passengers and two crew members.

Among those killed were Diógenes Quintero, a member of the Colombian House of Representatives, and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in the upcoming national elections. Both individuals were travelling on the short domestic flight.

The aircraft lost radar contact approximately 12 minutes after takeoff. Emergency beacons did not activate, and investigators have not yet determined a cause for the accident. Colombian authorities have launched an official probe and deployed military and aviation specialists to the site to recover remains and gather evidence.

President Gustavo Petro expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy on social media and extended condolences to the families of the victims, while government agencies pledged to support recovery efforts.