71 killed after plane carrying Brazilian soccer club team crashed in Colombia

• A chartered plane, with the registration number CP2933, traveling from Bolivia crashed outside the Colombian city of Medellín.
• 71 people died, while six have survived.
• The Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense was on board.
• Reports say 68 passengers and nine crew members were on board.

Seventy-one people have died after a chartered plane carrying the Brazilian soccer club Chapecoense crashed in Colombia near the city of Medellín, Reuters reported Tuesday, citing the Colombian police.

Seven survived the crash, including players Alan Ruschel, Follmann, and Neto. The goalkeeper Danilo also survived the crash but later died from his injuries. Earlier reports that Danilo's death left only five survivors turned out to be erroneous. The latest available information suggests that two crew members and a journalist are also among the survivors.

The local public TV station Teleantioquia said Neto was hospitalized in a critical condition. Teleantioquia also reported that Ruschel, a 27-year-old left back on loan from Internacional, was in stable condition. The Brazilian media network Globo is reporting that goalkeeper Follmann has had his leg amputated.

In a tweeted statement, Fox Sports Latin America confirmed that six of its Brazilian staff members were killed in the accident. Carlos Martínez, the president of Fox Networks Group Latin America, said his thoughts were with the families of those killed in the "tragedy."

The South American Football Confederation has suspended all games and other activities because of the crash.

The Colombian civil aviation authority published a full list of those on board. The names, released on Facebook, include nine crew members and nine journalists.

Four people meant to be on the journey did not travel, however, with only 68 passengers making the flight. They included Chapeco's mayor, Luciano Buligon.

Medellín's mayor, Federico Gutierrez, called it "a tragedy of huge proportions."Brazilian President Michel Temer announced three days of national mourning. He said in a tweet: "The government will do everything that is possible to relieve the pain of friends and family from sport and national journalism."

The Colombian police published images of the crash site on Twitter on Tuesday morning. They have also published a short video from the scene.

The plane, with the registration number CP2933, crashed outside Medellín around midnight local time (5 a.m. GMT). The accident reportedly occurred in the town of La Unión, about 53 miles from the Medellín airport.

The BBC translated the following airport press release, which says an electrical fault to the control tower was to blame for the crash. Here is the statement in Spanish:

The live air traffic website Flight Radar 24 tracked the flight's final moments. The radar shows the plane was circling before the crash.

The chartered Lamia flight — from Viru Viru airport in Bolivia to Jose Maria Cordova airport in Colombia — was carrying the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense, which was due to play in the first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana against the Medellín team Atletico Nacional. The game was scheduled for Wednesday.

Chapecoense released a statement on its Facebook page at 8 a.m. GMT (3 a.m. ET). "God be with our athletes, leaders, journalists, and other guests who are along with the delegation," it said, according to the Facebook translation of the Portuguese text.

Teleantioquia posted on Twitter what it said were the first two images of the crash.

The world soccer community has responded to the news. "Our thoughts are with everyone at @ChapecoenseReal, their families and all those affected by the tragedy in Colombia,"Chelsea said on Twitter. Others added:

Chapecoense is from the city of Chapeco in southern Brazil. The club was founded in 1973 and is ninth in the Brazilian top division, Serie A. The team was the underdog in the Copa Sudamericana final against Colombia's Atletico Nacional. The competition has been compared to the Europa League in Europe.

Chapecoense posted a recent video of the team celebrating on Facebook. "Let this be the last image of our warriors," the club said in a short message.

 Fans also gathered at the team's stadium in Brazil. A video on RCN Radio's Twitter feed shows supporters clapping and singing in a show of respect for the club.

 
This post has been updated throughout.

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