Colombia plane crash live: Rescuers find survivors among wreckage

Seven of the 81 on board were pulled out alive - but one later died in hospital

Colombia crash: 76 dead after plane carrying Brazilian football team crashes

Officials say six survivors have been rescued from the wreckage of a chartered plane carrying 81 people, including the squad of a top Brazilian football team, which crashed outside the Colombian city of Medellin.

Latest updates:

• Plane carrying 81 crashes in the mountains
• Plane was carrying team of Chapecoense Real
• 75 people have been killed
• Six people survived
• Authorities investigating whether plane crashed due to electrical failure or ran out of fuel

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The crash occurred amid poor weather conditions as the plane was on its way to the city's international airport, and the country's civil aviation authority said ambulances and emergency workers had arrived at the scene.

Local authorities said there appeared to be survivors, and confirmed the plane was a chartered flight carrying the team of Chapecoense Real for the final of a regional tournament.

The British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane, operated by a charter airline named LaMia, declared an emergency at 10pm Monday (0300 GMT) because of an electrical failure.

"It's a tragedy of huge proportions," Medellin Mayor Federico Gutierrez told Blu Radio on his way to the site in a mountainous area outside the city where aircraft crashed.

The aircraft, which made a stop in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, was transporting the first division Chapecoense soccer team from southern Brazil. The team was scheduled to play Wednesday in the first of a two-game Copa Sudamericana final against Atletico Nacional of Medellin.

"May God accompany our athletes, officials, journalists and other guests traveling with our delegation," the club said in a brief statement on its Facebook page.

South America's soccer federation extended its condolences to the entire Chapecoense community and said its president, Luis Dominguez, was on his way to Medellin. All soccer activities were suspended until further notice, the organisation said in a statement.

[29 November 2016 08:14 · Samuel Osborne]

Footage from Colombian news site MiOriente shows rescue workers at the crash site.

[29 November 2016 08:37 · Samuel Osborne]

Rescue operations have been suspended due to heavy rain.

"Search and rescue of the crashed Chapecoense plane is suspended because of heavy rain in the accident area," Medellin airport, where the plane had been set to land, said on Twitter. 

[29 November 2016 08:38 · Samuel Osborne]

At least 25 bodies have been recovered from the plane and five people have been rescued alive, an official told AFP.

[29 November 2016 08:40 · Samuel Osborne]

Local media says the fifth survivor, a Brazilian journalist, has been taken to hospital.

[29 November 2016 08:48 · Samuel Osborne]

[29 November 2016 08:54 · Samuel Osborne]

The mayor of La Ceja, a nearby town, has hinted the number of survivors may be higher than previously reported.

Citing firefighters, he said at least 25 people had been killed and around 10 survivors had been rescued.

However, few official figures have been made available.

[29 November 2016 09:01 · Samuel Osborne]

The vice president of the Brazilian first division soccer team Chapecoense, whose plane crashed in Colombia, said the Brazilian city where the team is from is in tears. 

Ivan Tozzo said Chapeco, a city of 200,000 residents in southern Brazil, is already in tears after the crash in Colombia, which occurred before Wednesday's final of Copa Sudamericana. 

Mr Tozzo told cable channel SporTV: "We are very sad, gathered here in the locker room of our stadium. We are still waiting for news. All our board is there, our players. We have nothing concrete on their state." 

He said: "There are a lot of people crying in our city, we could never imagine this. Chapecoense is the biggest reason for joy here. We hope there are many survivors, at least that most of them are OK." 

[29 November 2016 09:03 · Samuel Osborne]

Here's more on the passenger list:

[29 November 2016 09:04 · Samuel Osborne]

Up to 75 people may have died in the crash, a Medellin police official has said.

[29 November 2016 09:09 · Samuel Osborne]

A civil aviation official has told Reuters a high death toll from the crash is "undeniable".

They also said there were six confirmed survivors.