STORY: Eyewitness video has emerged of the wreckage of a plane that crashed in northeastern Colombia on Wednesday (January 28) and killed 15 people, including a local lawmaker, state-run airline Satena said.

The Beechcraft 1900 twin-engined turboprop plane took off before noon from Cucuta, on the border with Venezuela, for a short flight to the town of Ocana, Satena said.

Air traffic control lost contact with the plane 12 minutes into the flight, the carrier added.

Satena did not say what caused the crash and said the plane's emergency beacon had not been activated.

Video posted on social media showed debris from the plane in what appears to be a forested area. Rescue workers and residents were seen walking around and observing the debris.

The location of the footage was confirmed from the source and authorities' report of the plane crash. Reuters was also able to confirm the airline logo, colours and pattern of debris from wreckage that matched the SEARCA plane from file images. The date of footage was verified from original file metadata. FlightRadar24.com showed the flight taking off from Camilo Daza International Airport at around 16:40 UTC (1640 GMT) and flew towards Ocana before disappearing on the radar at around 16:54 UTC (1654 GMT).

Lawmaker Diogenes Quintero and members of his team were aboard the plane, as well as Carlos Salcedo, a candidate for Congress ahead of elections in March, according to a passenger list released by the airline.

The area where the plane crashed is a mountainous region planted with coca leaves, the raw material for cocaine, and where illegal armed groups such as the National Liberation Army and a dissident faction of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia operate.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

VIDEO SHOWS: PLANE WRECKAGE AT CRASH SITE / RESIDENTS AND RESCUE WORKERS AT SITE

VERIFIED BY:

- Location confirmed from the source and authorities' report of the plane crash

- Date verified by original file metadata

- FlightRadar24.com showed the flight taking off from Cucuta before disappearing from radar mid flight

- Airline logo, pattern, colours seen on the plane debris matched file image of SEARCA plane

SHOWS: PLAYA DE BELEN, NORTH SANTANDER, COLOMBIA (JANUARY 28, 2026) (Notiplaya - Must on screen courtesy Notiplaya / No archive / No resale) (ORIGINALLY SHOT IN PORTRAIT)

1. PLANE WRECKAGE

2. VARIOUS OF RESIDENTS AND RESCUE WORKERS AT THE PLANE CRASH SITE

3. PLANE WRECKAGE

4. WOMAN WALKING NEXT TO WRECKAGE

5. PLANE WRECKAGE

6. RESCUERS WORKING ON SITE, PEOPLE WALKING AROUND SITE OF CRASH