By Blessing Nweke

A passenger aircraft has crashed in northern Colombia, killing all 15 people on board, the country’s state-run airline Satena has confirmed. The Beechcraft 1900 plane was operating a domestic flight when it went down in a mountainous area near the city of Ocaña, close to the Venezuelan border.

In a brief statement, Satena said the aircraft “suffered a fatal accident” and confirmed there were no survivors. The airline did not immediately provide details on the cause of the crash. Authorities later said the wreckage had been located after an intensive search operation involving multiple agencies.

Flight NSE 8849 had taken off from the city of Cúcuta, about 100 kilometres (62 miles) northeast of Ocaña, carrying 13 passengers and two crew members. Contact with the plane was lost roughly 11 minutes before it was scheduled to land at 12:05 local time (17:05 GMT) on Wednesday, according to the airline.

The official passenger list included prominent political figures, among them lawmaker Diogenes Quintero Amaya and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in upcoming congressional elections. Their deaths have prompted an outpouring of condolences from political leaders and the wider public.

Following the loss of contact, emergency services launched an immediate search in the rugged terrain where the aircraft was believed to have disappeared. A hotline was set up to provide information and support to the families of those on board as authorities worked to confirm identities and notify relatives.

Colombia’s armed forces assisted in the search and recovery effort, particularly given the challenging security situation in the region. Parts of the area where the plane went missing are known to be under the influence of the ELN guerrilla group, complicating access for rescue teams.

The crash marks one of the deadliest aviation incidents in Colombia in recent years. Investigators are expected to examine flight data, weather conditions and possible mechanical issues to determine what caused the fatal accident.