Small plane crashes in rural area of Colombia, killing 15 people including congressman

A tiny level crashed connected Wednesday (January 28, 2026) successful a agrarian country of Norte de Santander state successful northeast Colombia, sidesplitting each 15 radical connected committee including a subordinate of Congress, authorities said.

Satena, the state-owned hose that operated the flight, said section officials successful the assemblage of Curasica notified authorities astir wherever the level had gone down and a rescue squad was deployed to “assess the information of the passengers.”

Colombia’s Transportation Ministry aboriginal released a connection saying that “once the craft was located connected site, authorities regrettably confirmed that determination were nary survivors.”

The aircraft, which has a registration fig of HK4709, took disconnected astatine 11:42 a.m. section clip from the airdrome successful Cúcuta, the department’s capital, bound for Ocaña, a municipality surrounded by mountains, connected a formation that typically lasts astir 40 minutes.

The aircraft’s last interaction with aerial postulation power came minutes aft takeoff, according to a connection released by Satena.

Officials did not supply a origin for the crash, but said determination would beryllium an investigation.

The tiny level was carrying 2 unit members and 13 passengers, including Diógenes Quintero, 36, a subordinate of the House of Representatives for Catatumbo, the hose said. Carlos Salcedo, a societal person who was moving for Congress, was besides among the victims.

Mr. Quintero was a renowned quality rights defender successful the troubled borderline portion with Venezuela, wherever helium was from and wherever the mishap occurred.

A lawyer by profession, helium was elected successful 2022 arsenic 1 of 16 representatives successful the little enclosure to correspond the much than 9 cardinal victims of Colombia’s decades-long equipped conflict. The seats were created arsenic portion of a landmark 2016 bid statement betwixt the Colombian authorities and the country’s largest guerrilla radical known arsenic the FARC.

His party, the U Party, expressed their remorse for his decease and said helium was “a person committed to his region, with a steadfast vocation for service.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said via societal media: “I americium profoundly saddened by these deaths. My heartfelt condolences to their families. May they remainder successful peace.”