The lads from the Brazilian football team Chapecoense had everything to play for just a few hours ago.
After a victory against Argentina’s San Lorenzo, the team from Chapeco were looking forward to playing against Colombian team Atletico Nacional in the final of the Copa Sudamericana – South America’s second most important club competition.
Recently they’ve enjoyed their best run for for 40 years, having been competed in Brazil’s top division for the first time since the 1970s.
Yet this morning those hopes and achievements are but a distant memory after their plane crashed in Colombia – killing at least 25 people.
Only hours earlier they had been caught on filming laughing and joking in the airport as they waited to board the doomed flight.
The plane was carrying the team to Medellin airport when it fell from the sky after reportedly suffering electrical problems.
The jet split in two when it crashed in mountains shortly at around 10pm local time (3am UK time), shortly before it was due to land.
(Photo: Alan Ruschel/Instagram)
(Photo: Alan Ruschel/Instagram)
The hero pilot is reported to have opened a fuel door to release fuel and prevent a huge explosion in the seconds after the crash.
There were 72 passengers and 9 crew on board the charter plane, which was taking the 22-man squad to their match against Atletico Nacional.
Mayor of Medellin Federico Gutierrez confirmed in a statement at the crash site that at least 25 people have been killed.
(Photo: Alan Ruschel/Instagram)
(Photo: Twitter)
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Video purports to show Chapecoense plane vanishing
He said: “Right now firefighters say 25 people have died.
“This is a tragedy. we have pictures of the plane, which broke in two .
“There has been talk of more than 10 survivors, that’s the important thing first is save the lives of those who are coming.
“We thank God the plane did not fall in an urban area because it could have been an even greater tragedy.”
(Photo: Twitter)
Defender Alan Ruschel and goalkeepers Danilo Padilha and Jakson Follmann are reported to be three of the survivors taken to hospital.
Ruschel – who suffered a broken hip and head injuries – was heard asking medics to look after his wedding ring as he arrived at hospital.
A video shared on Twitter claimed to show the moment the plane disappeared from view on flight radar at around 10.15pm local time.
The pilot declared an emergency around 10pm local time citing electrical failure.
The team are believed to have had to change their flight and board the plane that crashed after Brazilian aviation authorities prevented them from taking a charter flight to Medellin.
(Photo: Getty)
(Photo: Twitter)
(Photo: Facebook/Aviación Comercial en Colombia)
The jet came down in Cerro Gordo in the municipality of La Union, according to Mi Oriente.
Colombia has been hit by heavy storms which are hampering rescue efforts.
“The site of the accident is only accessible by land due to climatic conditions and low visibility,” a statement from the airport said.
“The Colombian Air Force deployed a search and rescue helicopter which had to cancel the mission due to the adverse conditions.
(Photo: Twitter)
(Photo: Reuters)
“According to the authorities the police are mobilising all possible help since they are reporting six survivors.”
Colombian news website Noticias Caracol tweeted what is purported to be the first pictures of the wreckage.
Chapecoense had reached the finals of the Copa Sudamericana by beating Argentina’s San Lorenzo over two legs in the semi-finals, which concluded last week.
Earlier in the day, the Chapocoense football team’s official Facebook page posted a video of the players waiting to board the flight at Viru Viru International Airport in the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia.
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Chapecoense players filmed before boarding doomed flight
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Chapecoense players celebrate reaching finals
A picture of the team on board a plane has been tweeted but it is unclear whether it was taken before the doomed flight.
The team, from the city of Chapeco, were promoted to Brazil’s first division in 2014 and reached the final of South America’s second most important club competition last week after a victory against Argentina’s San Lorenzo.
2014 was the first time the club had competed in Brazil’s top division since the 1970s.