Archives

Fears grew late Thursday that a plane carrying Colombian Minister of Social Protection Juan Luis Londono and four others may have crashed.

Officials said they last heard from the twin-engine aircraft as it flew over the central province of Tolima, en route to Popayan, some 650 kilometers (400 miles) southwest of Bogota where it was due to land around 4:30 pm (2130 GMT).

The plane disappeared somewhere between Cajamarca, in Tolima province, and Calarca in Quindio province after it crossed the central Andes.

Air traffic controllers lost contact with it at 3:37 pm (2037 GMT). Authorities have launched a helicopter search over an extensive area of central Columbia.

"We have two intelligence aircraft involved in the search and rescue operation," said Colombian Air Force commander Hector Fabio Velasco. "If they are alive it's easier to spot them.

"It is a zone of bad weather, cloudy."

Authorities said they do not know what happened to the plane.

"Until we find the aircraft we cannot say for sure what happened, because it may be that it turned around and has landed somewhere," Civil Aeronautics director Juan Carlos Velez said.

Londono, 48, who is close to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, was traveling with assistant Helena Bloss and security chief Jose Joaquin Vega. Also aboard were pilot German Vanegas and flight assistant Alirio Arcila.

He was heading to Popayan, the capital of Cauca province, for a meeting with business leaders and officials, according to official reports.

News | Business | Features | Editorial | Security
Politics | World | Letters | Sports | Obituaries |

Produced by Lake House
Copyright 2001 The Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Ltd.
Comments and suggestions to :Web Manager