Colombia mourned on Tuesday as the country learned about the death of 76 people, including the majority of Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer team, in a plane crash near Medellin.
President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter the accident that was survived by no more than five people was “a tragedy that griefs us.”
75 killed as Brazilian soccer team’s plane crashes near Medellin
“Solidarity with the families of the victims and with Brazil,” Santos said in his first Tweet of the day.
Una tragedia que nos enluta. Lamentamos accidente de avión que transportaba a #Chapecoense. Solidaridad con familia de víctimas y con Brasil pic.twitter.com/AC3hx3jWDl
— Juan Manuel Santos (@JuanManSantos) November 29, 2016
Governor Luis Perez of Antioquia, the province where the airplane crashed, said “this is a tragedy that saddens the entire world.”
Also Perez expressed his grief and expressed his condolences to and solidarity with the families.
Sentidas condolencias y mensaje de solidaridad para familias de víctimas @ChapecoenseReal Esta es una tragedia que conmueve a todo el mundo.
— Luis Pérez Gutiérrez (@Luis_Perez_G) November 29, 2016
“What happened last night is a true tragedy. We grief for this major loss of human lives and express our full solidarity with the family members, friends and fans of the Chapecoense team,” said Medellin Mayor Federico Gutierrez from the site of the crash.
Comunicado sobre accidente de avión de #Chapecoense. pic.twitter.com/wfEz5gdvXd
— Alcaldía de Medellín (@AlcaldiadeMed) November 29, 2016
Medellin soccer side Atletico Nacional, which was supposed to play Chapecoense on Wednesday in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final, said it “deeply regretted” the accident and expressed its solidarity with the survivors and fans of Brazilian team.
Nacional lamenta profundamente y se solidariza con @chapecoensereal por el accidente ocurrido y espera información de las autoridades.
— Atlético Nacional (@nacionaloficial) November 29, 2016
“The family of soccer unites in one single voice of prayer,” a Nacional fan said on the team’s Twitter account.
The plane crash cost the lives of at least 76 people, including most of the Chapecoense team. One of the team’s players was initially rescued alive from the plane wreckage, but died of his injuries in hospital.
