Bogota, April 28: The plane crash that claimed 71 lives in 2016, nearly wiping out an entire Brazilian football team, was due to fuel shortage, a report released by Colombia's Civil Aviation Authority said.
The report released on Friday confirmed that the British Aerospace Avro RJ85 ran out of fuel just before reaching its destination in Medellin, Xinhua news agency reported.
Seventy-one of the 77 passengers on-board died on November 28, including 19 Chapecoense players and all of the club's coaching staff.
The team from southern Brazil was travelling to Medellin to play the first leg of the Copa Sudamerica final against Colombia's Atletico Nacional.
"The plane has alarms and lights that turn on that tell the crew to do something when fuel is low," Chief Investigator Miguel Camacho told reporters on Friday.
The report said the plane -- operated by charter company LaMia -- departed Santa Cruz de La Sierra in Bolivia with insufficient fuel for the 2,972km journey.
"The crew insisted on carrying out their original flight plan, even when they realised they had a very limited amount of fuel," the report said. "But there was no communication with air traffic control."
The report followed a 15-month inquiry into the incident by the Colombian authorities, which worked in conjunction with counterparts in Bolivia and Brazil.
LaMia's General Manager Gustavo Vargas Gamboa was charged with manslaughter following the incident. Criminal charges have also been brought against LaMia co-owner Marco Antonio Rocha, whose whereabouts are unknown.
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UP: BJP MLA falls on rail track while flagging off Vande Bharat train
Etawah (UP), Sep 16: BJP's Etawah MLA Sarita Bhadauriya fell onto the railway tracks while vying to wave the green flag for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express here on Monday.
Purported videos of the incident surfaced on social media.
The incident occurred amidst a crowded platform as the train arrived around 6 pm. The 61-year-old second-term BJP lawmaker was among a host of people holding the green flag as they stood at the platform, the video showed.
Following the virtual inauguration of the Vande Bharat train by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the train, numbered 20175, was flagged off by the Rail Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu from Agra.
When contacted by PTI, BJP's Etawah unit treasurer Sanjeev Bhadauriya said, "The MLA was helped off the track and she then waited for some time at the platform for the flag-off event."
"Later she consulted doctors and is resting at her home now. She did not suffer any visible physical injuries. If there is any internal injury, it is yet to be confirmed," Bhadauriya said.
The train made stops at Tundla before arriving at Etawah station. Upon its arrival, a commotion ensued on the platform as various political figures, including Samajwadi Party MP Jitendra Douwhare, former BJP MP Ram Shankar, and current MLA Sarita Bhadauriya, gathered to participate in the flag-off, the videos showed.
As the train's horn signalled its departure, the platform became chaotic with supporters jostling for position. In the ensuing melee, the MLA was pushed off the platform and she fell onto the railway tracks in front of the train, it showed.
The train was stopped in time by bystanders, preventing a major accident. Bhadauriya was quickly rescued from the tracks by the police and taken to the hospital, according to eyewitnesses.
Talking about the operation date for the Vande Bharat Express, PRO Prashasti Srivastava from the Agra division of the railways said that the date will be announced soon.
The train will cover the distance between Agra and Varanasi in approximately seven hours. The return train will operate as number 20176 from Varanasi to Agra, while the Agra-Varanasi service will be number 20175.
Etawah, UP: The flag-off ceremony for the Agra-Varanasi Vande Bharat Express faced chaos due to heavy rush, and BJP's Etawah Sadar MLA, Sarita Bhadoria, fell in front of the train pic.twitter.com/p10CfbDIF0
— IANS (@ians_india) September 16, 2024
