Small plane crash in northwestern Colombia kills five police officers

Small plane crash in northwestern Colombia kills five police officers

2011-07-29 12:19:04 GMT+7 (ICT)

ITUANGO, COLOMBIA (BNO NEWS) -- Five police officers were killed on early Thursday afternoon when a small plane crashed in northwestern Colombia, police said on Friday morning.

The accident happened at around 2.30 p.m. local time when a Cessna 206 aircraft crashed in the small village of Santa Rita in the municipality of Ituango, located in northern Antioquia department. It was carrying a total of six people, including the pilot.

A spokesperson for the Colombian national police confirmed five of its officers were killed in the accident which happened near a local airport. The victims were identified as Captain Rafael David Espinosa Sanchez, Lieutenant Jhon Henry Vasquez Henao, chief Arnoide Vargas Nunez, and officers Julian David Guzman Norena and Ivan Fernando Rodriguez Perez.

Injured officer Robinson Carabali Palacios, the sole survivor of the accident, was airlifted to a regional police hospital in Aburra Valley where he is being treated for serious injuries.

Police said the cause of the accident is under investigation.

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