Black boxes are recovered from Colombia plane crash

Rescuers combing the wreckage of a charter plane that crashed in Colombia found a sixth survivor under the aircraft’s fuselage Tuesday morning, officials said.

The mayor of the southern Brazilian city of Chapeco, home of the ill-fated soccer team, said he and other officials barely missed boarding the plane that crashed.

“What we do know is that when the plane crashed, it broke into two parts and didn’t catch fire”, he said. He spoke to his wife again in a Colombia hospital before he died of his injuries. It had 68 passengers on board and nine crew members.

The regional governor, Luis Perez, said it was a “miracle” they survived. The crash occurred in an area called Cerro El Gordo near Medellin, officials said.

Among them: defender Alan Luciano Ruschel.

Officials have told the BBC that the flight’s two black boxes have been recovered in “perfect condition”, which is likely to aid their investigation.

Investigators are still working to figure out the cause of the crash.

A charter plane carrying the Chapecoense squad as well as coaching staff, journalists and plane crew was travelling from Brazil to Colombia via Bolivia came down in the municipality of La Union in Colombia at 22.15 local time (03.15 GMT).

The team was due to play in the final of the Copa Sudamericana, against Medellin team Atletico Nacional.

Chapecoense played its first global match in the Copa Sudamericana in 2015, and in 2016 managed to eliminate traditional powerhouses to make it to the finals.

“As far as we are concerned, Chapecoense will forever be the champions of the Copa Sudamericana 2016”.

Six of the journalists worked for Fox.

“The families, friends and colleagues of those affected are deep in our thoughts at this hard time”, the Murdoch family, which own Fox Sports, said in a statement.

The clips give some insight into why this team of underdogs means so much to supporters.

While captain Wayne Rooney added: “Sad news to wake up to today”.

The surviving soccer players were taken from the wreckage in what appears to have been a hard rescue mission.

Football stars including Barcelona players Leo Messi, Neymar and Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney led the tributes as the sport mourned the tragedy.

Chapecoense is seen as one of the minnows of Brazilian club football.

The data recorder shows how the plane was operating before the crash and the cockpit recorder captures conversations on the flight deck before impact. All 31 on board were killed. As club vice president Ivan Tozzo said, the team was “the biggest reason for joy here”.

Medellin-based Atletico Nacional said it’s asked the South American soccer confederation to award the title in honor of the Brazilian team that was aboard a plane that went down with the loss of 75 of the 81 people aboard.