The President of Brazil has officially declared three days of mourning following the aircraft crash which killed 76 people this morning.
A plane carrying the Chapecoense football team, along with support staff and journalists, to the city of Medellin, Colombia, crashed early this morning, with a loss of at least 76 lives, from 81 passengers and nine crew on board.
And now President Michel Temer has announced the official mourning period, as well as making the Brazilian air force available to help transfer families as well as the bodies of the victims.
His full statement read:
“In this sad time when tragedy has befallen dozens of Brazilian families, I express my solidarity. We are putting all the means to help families and give all possible assistance. The aircraft and the Foreign Ministry have already been triggered. The government will do everything possible to ease the pain of friends and family of sports and national journalism.”
Colombia’s civil aviation department revealed the plane crashed near Rionegro on it’s way to Medellin.
They initially announced that six passengers – three players, two crew members, and one journalist – survived the crash but one of those survivors tragically died on the way to the hospital.
Five people have been rescued alive from the site of the #ColombiaPlaneCrash. It had 81 people on board https://t.co/DXxR71iqxm
— Sky News (@SkyNews) November 29, 2016
The football world was keen to pay it’s respects to the victims.
— Chapecoense (@ChapecoenseReal) November 29, 2016
Nacional lamenta profundamente y se solidariza con @chapecoensereal por el accidente ocurrido y espera información de las autoridades.
— Atlético Nacional (@nacionaloficial) November 29, 2016
The thoughts of everyone at Manchester United are with @ChapecoenseReal & all those affected by the tragedy in Colombia.#ForçaChapecoense pic.twitter.com/EUjAnJQkaB
— Manchester United (@ManUtd) November 29, 2016
Official announcement.https://t.co/ViPvwAUaLr#RealMadrid pic.twitter.com/lJkISXfz8P
— Real Madrid C.F. 🇬🇧🇺🇸 (@realmadriden) November 29, 2016
Our thoughts are with everyone at @ChapecoenseReal and all those affected by the tragedy in Colombia.#ForçaChapecoense pic.twitter.com/I5CCI5MvvN
— Liverpool FC (@LFC) November 29, 2016
All our support and solidarity is with the victims and the families affected by the @ChapecoenseReal tragedy in Colombia
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 29, 2016
Tristeza por lo de @ChapecoenseReal. #ForcaChapecoense pic.twitter.com/XtTjytfY2W
— Planeta Boca Juniors (@PlanetaBoca) November 29, 2016
Borussia Dortmund lamenta as vitimas acidente do voo em Columbia e está em pensamento com os familiares das vítimas. #prayforchapecoense pic.twitter.com/61UWYdoiYu
— Borussia Dortmund (@BVB) November 29, 2016
Sad news to wake up to today. Thoughts are with @ChapecoenseReal and their family and friends.
— Wayne Rooney (@WayneRooney) November 29, 2016
Brindamos nuestras más sinceras condolencias y acompañamos en el dolor a los familiares tras la tragedia aérea sufrida por @ChapecoenseReal
— San Lorenzo (@SanLorenzo) November 29, 2016
— Neymar Jr (@neymarjr) November 29, 2016
Thinking of you, @ChapecoenseReal#ForçaChapecoense pic.twitter.com/0KGRwwqI76
— Arsenal (@Arsenal) November 29, 2016
Nuestras condolencias a los familiares de los fallecidos en el accidente de avión del @ChapecoenseReal. Descansen en paz.
— Atlético de Madrid (@Atleti) November 29, 2016
My thoughts are with all members of @ChapecoenseReal and all their families! #PrayForChapecoense 🇧🇷🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/9CEjyQwqLs
— Thibaut Courtois (@thibautcourtois) November 29, 2016
Nossos pensamentos estão com o @ChapecoenseReal, todos os afetados pela tragédia e suas famílias. Não temos palavras. Muita força. pic.twitter.com/IcheVVNYEl
— Sergio Ramos (@SergioRamos) November 29, 2016
All my support and strength for the relatives and friends of the victims in the air accident of @ChapecoenseReal in Colombia pic.twitter.com/6EJ0Rr1I3C
— Ivan Rakitic (@ivanrakitic) November 29, 2016
Our hearts and thoughts will be with @ChapecoenseReal today #ForçaChape
— AC Milan (@acmilan) November 29, 2016
Minuto de silencio del Real Madrid en memoria del Chapecoense #FuerzaChapecoense pic.twitter.com/qcWWqMPuiv
— José Luis Sánchez 🇪🇸 (@JLSanchez78) November 29, 2016
Remarkably moving.