More than two weeks after a plane crash over the Amazon rainforest in Colombia, four children are said to have survived. Now there are new clues.
Update on May 20, 09:57 a.m.: More than two weeks after the crash of a small plane in the Colombian rainforest, soldiers and indigenous people continue to search for four children. President Gustavo Petro had recently announced on Twitter that the children had been rescued, but has since backtracked. "I decided to delete the tweet because the information provided by the family authority could not be confirmed," the head of state wrote on the short message service.
At the moment, there is no other priority than to continue the search for the siblings aged 13, nine and four years and eleven months. Since the terrain in the rainforest is difficult to access, the wreckage of the Cessna 206 propeller plane could only be found on Tuesday.
A Cessna 206 propeller plane is found in the jungle more than two weeks after soldiers crashed. Now the search is on for four children who are said to have survived the crash. © Aerocivil/dpa
"Yes, they are alive, that's the information we have," reported the head of the family authority Astrid Cáceres on the radio. The children were found by an indigenous search party, but the group has not yet been able to make its way to the soldiers. "We need to understand that the jungle is complex and communication in the region is difficult," she said.
Have children thought after plane crash in the rainforest? Armed forces continue search
Update from May 19, 19:24 p.m.: Did four children survive the plane crash over the rainforest in Colombia? This is still not certain almost three weeks after the crash of a small aircraft. On Friday, the armed forces continued the search for the missing children, AFP reports. They flew over the region in the south of the country in a helicopter and played a message recorded by the children's grandmother in her indigenous language, as seen in a video released by the armed forces on Friday.
The armed forces have recently found new evidence that at least one of the children survived. They found an emergency shelter built of leaves and branches, as well as half-eaten fruit. On Twitter, the Colombian Air Force also published photos of footprints. The children are siblings aged 13, 9 and 4 years and eleven months. Her mother, the pilot and an indigenous leader were killed in the accident.
After more than two weeks in the rainforest: Children found alive after plane crash?
Update from May 18, 13:58 p.m.: Initially, it was said that four children were found alive after the plane crash over the Amazon rainforest in Colombia. The children, aged four, nine and 13, as well as an eleven-month-old infant, are said to have survived for more than two weeks in the dense jungle. "Joy for the country," tweeted Colombian President Gustavo Petro. The seemingly good news now poses a mystery.
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Fancy a voyage of discovery?
This image, released by the Colombian army, shows a footprint in the rainforest in Caqueta, Colombia, on May 18. © Colombian Army/AFP
Contrary to a local media report, the security forces on site have not yet confirmed the rescue of the children, the Tagesschau reported. There are indications such as the provisionally built shelter that the children are alive. However, it is unclear where they are at this point in time. The children's mother was killed in the plane crash.
Four children apparently found alive after plane crash — "Joy for the country"
First reported on 18 May: Munich/San José del Guaviare – After a plane crash in Colombia, four missing children were found in the Amazon rainforest. The aircraft had already disappeared from the radar on May 1 during an overflight of the rainforest. The search for the Cessna 206 could initially only take place from the air due to the dense jungle. It was not until Monday (15 May) that rescue workers reached the crash site and found evidence of survivors.
"Joy for the country," Colombian President Gustavo Petro said on Twitter on Wednesday (17 May). The children of the indigenous people of the Huitoto were found "after an arduous search by our armed forces". The authorities had sent more than a hundred soldiers with sniffer dogs to search for the minors. On Monday and Tuesday, soldiers had found the bodies of the pilot and two other adults. Among them was the mother of the four children. They had arrived by plane from San José del Guaviare, one of the largest cities in the Colombian Amazon rainforest.
The four children, aged four, nine and 13, as well as an eleven-month-old baby, are said to have moved through the jungle in the southern department of Caqueta since the accident. According to the army, the helpers found "an improvised shelter made of sticks and twigs" that indicated at least one survivor. Armed forces published photos showing scissors and a hairband on the floor of the jungle. A bottle and a half-eaten fruit were also found. As a result, the search was intensified again on Wednesday morning – with success.
After more than two weeks in the rainforest: children rescued after plane crash
The search operation was complicated by huge trees that can grow up to 40 meters high. In addition, there were wild animals and heavy rains — a challenge for the search operation, which was called "Operation Hope." Three helicopters were deployed. One of them played a message spoken by the children's grandmother in the Huitoto language over the loudspeaker: she told them not to move from the spot because they were being searched for.
The indigenous Huitoto ethnic group is known for living in harmony with the jungle. They possess skills in hunting, fishing and collecting wild fruits. These characteristics probably helped the children to survive in the jungle for more than two weeks. The cause of the plane crash remained unclear. The pilot had reported problems with the engine before his plane disappeared from the radar, according to the Colombian disaster management agency.
A plane crash also occurred in Italy in March 2023. Both pilots were killed. (vk/afp)
