Colombia: 8 Dead After Airplane Crashes Into Neighborhood

Tragedy struck a local neighborhood in Medellin, Colombia on Monday, when a small airplane crashed in the area and killed all eight people on board. The crash also damaged houses and other buildings around the area.

According to the Associated Press, no injuries were reported on the ground, but nobody aboard the small airplane, identified as a twin-engine Piper PA-31, managed to survive. It had six passengers and two crew members.

Plane Crash Destroys Seven Homes and Damaged Several Buildings

The small plane crashed in the middle of a bustling neighborhood. Though nobody on the ground was hurt, the crash did cause a fire and damaged several buildings.

According to the New York Post, Medellín Mayor Daniel Quintero stated that the crash resulted in seven homes being completely destroyed, with six other buildings sustaining some damage. Photos from the crash site showed firefighters and other emergency personnel working through the smoldering rubble and black plumes of smoke.

The emergency crews were sifting through what was left of the home, which was part of the Belen Rosales sector of Medellin. The damage was extensive, though the emergency crews are still working around the clock to recover the bodies and make sure the area is safe and secure again.

Quintero then wrote on Twitter that "The full capacity of government has been activated to assist the victims." No details yet on how the residents or the families of the passengers and crew will be receiving this said assistance.

One of the inhabitants of the house where the plane crashed narrowly survived. She was identified as Doña Astrid, and according to Mayor Quintero, she was saved because "she just left."

Engine Failure Caused Plane Crash Into Medellin Neighborhood in Colombia

TRT World reported that the main case of the plane crash may have been engine failure. The twin-engine Piper aircraft left the Olaya Herrera airport on Monday and was heading to the municipality of Pizarro in the neighboring district of El Choco.

However, shortly after takeoff, the aircraft managed to signal its airport of origin that it had experienced engine failure. It tried to go back, but instead, the plane crashed into the neighborhood shortly after, crashing into a house and destroying its top floors and causing a fire.

No exact cause for the crash has been determined yet, but the main reason being seen was the fact that the plane signaled that it was experiencing engine failure.

"Unfortunately, the pilot was not able to keep the plane aloft and it crashed in this neighborhood," said Quintero as he spoke with members of the media following the incident.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Rick Martin

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