Saturday 10 December 2022
Take a walk for a new life abroad
Tuesday 11 April 2017
Cristiano Ronaldo and Pepe looked relaxed as Real Madrid fly to Germany to face Bayern Munich in Champions League quarter-final clash
·
Real Madrid squad pictured on aeroplane as they travel to Munich on
Tuesday
·
Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale and Luka Modric all pose for pictures
on the flight
· Champions League holders Real Madrid face
Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena
By Alex Martin For Be Informed
PUBLISHED: 10:23 BST, 11 April 2017 | UPDATED: 11:07 BST, 11
April 2017
 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo and pepe sets for a selfie as they both boards a plane to Munich with other teammates |
Real Madrid stars Gareth Bale and Cristiano R
Bidding to become the
first team to retain the European crown in its new format, Real Madrid face the
Bundesliga champions at the Allianz Arena on Wednesday in the first of two
heavyweight showdowns.
Despite the challenge
ahead, Ronaldo looked in relaxed mood, giving the cameraman the thumbs up in a
picture posted on his official Instagram. Bale, alongside James Rodriguez and
Luka Modric, appeared on Real Madrid's Twitter.
There was also a
contribution from Spain international Lucas Vazquez, who cracked a wide smile
along with Matteo Kovacic, Isco, Alvaro Morata and defender Nacho, posting it
to his 450,000 followers on Twitter.
It may well prove to be
the most relaxing part of their latest European adventure, with Bayern Munich
attempting to put an end to their pursuit of a third Champions League crown in the past four seasons.
Bayern have not lifted
the famous trophy since 2013 but have made the semi-finals in each of the last
three campaigns. After beating their biggest domestic rivals Borussia Dortmund
4-1 at the weekend, they go into the game in great form.
In comparison, Real
Madrid could only manage a draw against their city rivals Atletico Madrid in an
intense tie that would have certainly left the legs feeling a little heavy.
Pepe gave Madrid the
lead before a late goal from Antoine Griezmann kept the La Liga title race open
wide, if only for Barcelona to lose against Malaga.
However, currently
sitting three points ahead of the reigning La Liga champions and with a game in
hand, a famous double for Zinedine Zidane's men remains a distinct possibility.
REAL MADRID V BAYERN MUNICH
1st Leg:
Wednesday,
Allianz Arena - 7.45pm (BT Sport 3)
2nd Leg:
April 12,
Bernabeu - 7.45pm
'North Korea is looking for trouble': Trump tweets extraordinary warning declaring that if China 'does not decide to help we will solve the problem without them'
·
USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group sent to Korean
Peninsula
·
North Korea insists it is ready for war, calling US Navy deployment
'reckless'
·
Pyongyang warned it can respond to 'provocateurs' with 'powerful
force of arms'
·
Russia says officials are 'extremely worried' by prospect of US
military action
·
Donald Trump has tweeted that if China decides not to help 'we will
solve the problem without them'
· But South Korea has played down talk of an
impending outbreak of war in region
By Rachel Eddie and Julian Robinson for Be informed
PUBLISHED: 02:37 BST, 11 April 2017 | UPDATED: 15:25 BST, 11
April 2017
Donald Trump has warned
that 'North Korea is looking for trouble', insisting that if China 'does not
decide to help', the US 'will solve the problem without them'.
The US President wrote
the message on Twitter after revealing he had urged his Chinese counterpart Xi
Jinping to pressure Pyongyang in to stopping its nuclear programme.
His warning came
as Russia admitted
it is 'extremely worried' the US will attack Kim Jong-Un after North Korea warned it has US bases 'in its
nuclear sights'. Pyongyang had earlier threatened 'catastrophic consequences'
after Donald Trump sent an armada of warships to the Korean
Peninsula.
At the same time, China
has moved 150,000 troops to its border to deal with a possible influx of North
Korean refugees amid fears Trump may strike Kim Jong-un following the surprise
US missile attack on Syria last week.
G7 nations today
insisted President Bashar al-Assad must step down as part of any peace solution
in war-torn Syria and US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared it was
clear that the 'reign of the Assad family is coming to an end'.
 |
| Donald Trump has warned that 'North Korea is looking for trouble', insisting that if China 'does not decide to help', the US 'will solve the problem without them' |
 |
| The U.S. Navy aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson, the guided-missile destroyer USS Wayne E. Meyer and the guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Champlain are pictured in March this year. North Korea has warned it is 'ready to react to any mode of war desired by the U.S.' |
Last week, North Korea
waded into the row over Syria by branding Trump's missile strike on an
airbase in the war-torn country as 'an unforgivable act of aggression'.
The US took action after
87 Syrian civilians were killed in a horrific chemical attack that Washington
blamed on Assad's forces. Russia - which has backed the Syrian dictator's
military - as well as Iran and its allies then said the US had crossed a 'red
line' and warned they 'will respond to any aggression' in the future.
This morning, North Korea warned of a nuclear attack on the US at
any sign of pre-emptive action.
Pyongyang's state
newspaper said the country was prepared to respond to any aggression.
'Our revolutionary
strong army is keenly watching every move by enemy elements with our nuclear
sight focused on the U.S. invasionary bases not only in South Korea and the
Pacific operation theatre but also in the U.S. mainland,' the Rodong Sinmun
newspaper said.
But South Korean
officials today moved to quell fears on social media of an impending security
crisis or outbreak of war.
'We'd like to ask
precaution so as not to get blinded by exaggerated assessment about the
security situation on the Korean peninsula,' Defence Ministry spokesman Moon
Sang-kyun said.
Escalating tensions over
both the threat posed by North Korea and the crisis in Syria have sparked fresh
fears the world is heading towards a new global war.
Russian President
Vladimir Putin today said he had information of future chemical weapons
'provocations' in Syria that would be used to frame Kremlin ally Bashar
al-Assad.
 |
| North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un is pictured earlier this month. A spokesperson for the regime's foreign ministry says Pyongyang is ready for war |
 |
| Russian President Vladimir Putin (pictured today) said he had information of future chemical weapons 'provocations' in Syria that would be used to frame Kremlin ally Bashar al-Assad |
 |
| G7 nations insisted Bashar al-Assad must step down as part of any peace solution in war-torn Syria and as US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson declared it was clear that the 'reign of the Assad family is coming to an end'. G7 officials are pictured as they gathered in Italy today |
Standing alongside
Italian President Sergio Mattarella who was in Moscow for talks, Putin, when
asked by a reporter if he expected more U.S. missile strikes on Syria, said:
'We have information that a similar provocation is being prepared ... in other
parts of Syria including in the southern Damascus suburbs where they are
planning to again plant some substance and accuse the Syrian authorities of
using (chemical weapons).' He did not offer any proof for that assertion.
Putin also said he will
appeal to the United Nations to investigate last week's chemical attack in
Syria, which claimed 87 lives and prompted Trump's surprise cruise missile
attack.
Russia's foreign
ministry says it hopes for 'productive talks' with U.S. Secretary of State Rex
Tillerson, as he heads to Moscow in his first visit as the top US diplomat.
At the end of the week
three-way talks are then planned in Moscow between the foreign ministers of
allies Russia, Syria and Iran.
The Pentagon revealed on
Saturday night that the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier and its battle group
had been dispatched to the region for US-South Korea war games.
Last night, a spokesman
for North Korea's foreign ministry said: 'This goes to prove that the U.S.
reckless moves for invading the DPRK have reached a serious phase,' said a
spokesman for the secretive nation's foreign ministry.
'The DPRK is ready to
react to any mode of war desired by the U.S,' he added.
'We will hold the U.S.
wholly accountable for the catastrophic consequences to be entailed by its
outrageous actions,' the North Korean foreign ministry spokesman said, adding
that Pyongyang would respond to 'provocateurs' with a 'powerful force of
arms'.
'We will take the
toughest counteraction against the provocateurs in order to defend ourselves by
powerful force of arms,' the foreign ministry spokesman said, according to
KCNA.
The statement from
Pyongyang comes as tensions on the divided peninsula are already high because
of U.S.-South Korea wargames now underway and recent ballistic missile tests by
the North. Pyongyang sees the annual manoeuvres as a dress rehearsal for
invasion, while the North's long-range missile launches are a violation of U.N.
resolutions.
Aircraft carrier Carl
Vinson and its wing of fighter jets were scheduled to make port visits in
Australia but were diverted to waters off North Korea after the country
conducted more missile testing, the Pentagon revealed on Saturday night.
The Chinese army has
reportedly deployed 150,000 troops to the North Korean border to prepare for
pre-emptive attacks after the United States dropped airstrikes on Syria.
President Donald Trump's missile strike on Syria on Friday was
widely interpreted as a warning to North Korea.
And now China, left shocked by the air strikes, has deployed
medical and backup units from the People's Liberation Army forces to the Yalu
River, Korea's Chosun.com reported.
The troops have been
dispatched to handle North Korean refugees and 'unforeseen circumstances', such
as the prospect of preemptive attacks on North Korea, the news agency said.
South Korean acting
President Hwang Kyo-ahn warned of 'greater provocations' by North Korea and
ordered the military to intensify monitoring and to ensure close communication
with the United States.
'It is possible the
North may wage greater provocations such as a nuclear test timed with various
anniversaries including the Supreme People's Assembly,' said Hwang, acting
leader since former president Park Geun-hye was removed amid a graft scandal.
The North convened a
Supreme People's Assembly session on Tuesday, one of its twice-yearly sessions
in which major appointments are announced and national policy goals are
formally approved.
Saturday is the 105th anniversary
of the birth of Kim Il Sung, the country's founding father and grandfather of
current ruler, Kim Jong Un.
A military parade is
expected in the North's capital, Pyongyang, to mark the day. North Korea often
also marks important anniversaries with tests of its nuclear or missile
capabilities in breach of U.N. Security Council resolutions.
Syrian President Bashar
al-Assad sent a message of congratulations to mark the event, lambasting 'big
powers' for their 'expansionist' policy.
'The friendly two
countries are celebrating this anniversary and, at the same time, conducting a
war against big powers' wild ambition to subject all countries to their
expansionist and dominationist policy and deprive them of their rights to
self-determination,' Russian news agency Tass quote the message as saying.
North Korea and the
rich, democratic South are technically still at war because their 1950-53
conflict ended in a truce, not a peace treaty. The North regularly threatens to
destroy the South and its main ally, the United States.
Delegates from around
the North have been arriving in Pyongyang ahead of the assembly session. They visited
statues of previous leaders Kim Il Sung and his son, Kim Jong Il, state media
reported.
WHO SUPPORTS WHO IN THE BATTLE
FOR SYRIA?
PRO ASSAD
Russia - Gives military support, condemns the US airstrikes and suspends
deal not to clash mid-air
Iran - Close strategic allies with Syria and has provided significant
support including $8.69billion
North Korea - UN probe found that North Korea was supplying arms to Syria
Iraq - The Iraqi Government provided financial support and transported
supplies
Algeria - Rumours suggest Algerian military aircraft is regularly landing
in Syria
Venezuela - The South American country has shipped tens of millions of
dollars worth of diesel to Syria
Lebanon - Police arrested family after they protested about the Syrian
Government
Belarus - President Alexander Lukashenko supported Moscow's involvement
and offered air strike
Lebanese Hezbollah Party - Involvement has been substantial and has deployed troops since
2012
ANTI ASSAD
US - President Donald Trump launched first airstrikes since six-year
civil war started
UK - Supports US cruise airstrikes as Theresa May said chemical
attack was 'despicable'
France/Germany - Both of the countries today said Assad bears 'sole
responsibility' for US strike
Turkey - Opposed to Assad but objects to Syrian rebels and wants control
of Kurdish area
Canada - Canada gave more than $4.97million to the Syrian opposition in
2013
Saudi Arabia - The Middle East country is the main group to finance the rebels
and has provided a large amount of weapons
Israel - Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was the first to praise the
US's retaliatory attack, saying he 'fully supports' Donald Trump's decision to
launch the cruise missile attacks
Qatar- It was
reported Qatar gave the Syrian rebels $2.98 billion at the start of the civil
war in 2011
China's top nuclear
envoy arrived in Seoul on Monday for talks on the North Korean threat, as the
United States sent the naval strike group to the region and signalled it may
act to shut down Pyongyang's weapons program.
Speculation of an
imminent nuclear test is brewing as the North marks major anniversaries
including the 105th birthday of its founding leader on Saturday - sometimes
celebrated with a demonstration of military might.
Wu Dawei, China's
Special Representative for Korean Peninsula Affairs, met with his South Korean
counterpart on Monday to discuss the nuclear issue.
The talks come shortly
after Mr Trump hosted Chinese leader Xi Jinping for a summit at which he
pressed Pyongyang's key ally to do more to curb the North's nuclear ambitions.
'(We) are prepared to
chart our own course if this is something China is just unable to coordinate
with us,' US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson said after the summit.
He added however that
Beijing had indicated a willingness to act on the issue.
'We need to allow them
time to take actions,' Tillerson said, adding that Washington had no intention
of attempting to remove the regime of Kim Jong-Un.
The meeting between Xi
and Trump came on the heels of yet another missile test by the North, which
fired a medium-range ballistic missile into the Sea of Japan on
Wednesday.
Pyongyang is on a quest
to develop a long-range missile capable of hitting the US mainland with a
nuclear warhead, and has so far staged five nuclear tests, two of them last
year.
 |
| China has deployed medical and backup units from the People's Liberation Army (pictured above) forces to the Yalu River following President Donald Trump's missile strikes on Syria last week |
Trump has previously
threatened unilateral action against the reclusive state, a threat that
appeared more palpable after Thursday's strike on a Syrian airfield following
an apparent chemical attack.
Meanwhile, the United
States has concluded Russia knew in advance of Syria's chemical weapons attack
last week, a senior U.S. official said Monday.
The official said a
drone operated by Russians was flying over a hospital as victims of the attack
were rushing to get treatment.
Hours after the drone
left, a Russian-made fighter jet bombed the hospital in what American officials
believe was an attempt to cover up the usage of chemical weapons.
The official said the
presence of the surveillance drone over the hospital couldn't have been a
coincidence, and that Russia must have known the chemical weapons attack was
coming and that victims were seeking treatment.
Tuesday 29 November 2016
Brazilian goalkeeper pulled alive from Colombia air crash wreckage made heartbreaking last call to his wife moments before he died in hospital
·
Plane
carrying 81 including top flight Brazil football
team Chapecoense has crashed in Colombia mountains
·
The
aircraft crashed after taking off from a Bolivian airport amid reports of on
board 'electrical problems'
·
Early
reports suggest there are just five survivors from the crash including
three Chapecoense players
· The team were set to play Copa Sudamerica
tournament final on Wednesday as part of a fairy tale season
By Julian Robinson and Matt Roper In Brazil and Janet Tappin Coelho In Brazil and Thomas Burrows and Daniel Peters and Ollie Gillman for Be Informed
PUBLISHED: 06:05 GMT, 29 November 2016 | UPDATED: 16:46 GMT, 29
November 2016
A Brazilian footballer
pulled from the wreckage of the Colombian air disaster made a heartbreaking
last telephone call to his wife moments before he died, it has emerged.
Chapecoense goalkeeper
Danilo was one of just seven people initially found alive in the mangled
remains of the jet which crashed down on its way from Bolivia to the city of
Medellin.
The 31-year-old was rushed
for treatment after the crash, which claimed more than 70 lives, and spoke to
his wife from his hospital bed - only to die from his injuries a short time
later. Weeks earlier he had posted a picture of himself next to his wife
who he described as 'my love'.
Separate images show him
posing for selfies with fellow footballer Alan Ruschel, 27, during the journey
from Brazil with Ruschel, 27, telling fans: 'We're coming Colombia.'
Ruschel was pulled alive
from the wreckage along with goalkeeper Jacson Follmann and defender Helio
Hermito Zampier Neto and three other passengers and crew, officials said.
Rescuers have started
the grim task of removing bodies from the crash site as it emerged the pilot
circled in a desperate attempt to burn off fuel before attempting to land.
The chartered plane,
carrying the Brazilian football team, crashed outside Medellin killing 76 and
leaving just six survivors - three of them players.
 |
| Brazilian footballer Danilo, who was pulled from the wreckage of the Colombian air disaster, made a heartbreaking last call to his wife before dying moments later in hospital, it has emerged |
 |
| Pictures taken at the scene show rescue teams trying to find survivors and the crumpled remains of the team's plane |
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| Rescue workers this morning continued the grim task of removing bodies from the crash site in the Colombian mountains |
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| United for the last time, this is the Brazilian football team posing together in front of a passenger jet before their doomed flight crashed in Colombia, killing 76 on board |
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| Emergency: Alan Ruschel is said to have suffered head injuries in the crash in the remote Colombian mountains |
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| Medical staff from the San Juan de Dios hospital transfer 27-year-old Brazilian footballer Alan Ruschel after he as pulled alive from the wreckage of the crash |
 |
| Heartbreaking images have also emerged online showing devastated players who were not travelling with the team sitting in the empty club changing room |
Team members had posed
together for a picture in Bolivia ahead of take-off as they were travelling to
Colombia for the biggest game in the club's history, the Copa Sudamerica final.
But their journey came to a devastating end when the jet smashed into a hill
and broke in two in remote mountains at about 10.15pm.
Danilo's last-gasp save
in the semi-final of the competition had helped the team make it through to the
cup final.
The Avro RJ85 plane,
which was carrying nine crew, suffered power failures while flying through the
Antioquia Department on its way from Bolivia. The pilot is believed to have
circled around before crash landing in a desperate bid to lose fuel and avoid
an explosion on impact.
Just 20 days ago, the
same plane had transported the Argentinian football team, including megastars
Lionel Messi and Angel Di Maria, to Belo Horizonte in Brazil, where they played
Brazil in a World Cup qualifier match.
Heartbreaking images
have since emerged online showing devastated players who were not travelling
with the Chapecoense squad sitting in the club's empty changing
room. Brazil has since declared three days of mourning.
There are reports that
the team had to change their flight at short notice and board the doomed
aircraft after Brazilian aviation authorities prevented them from taking a
charter plane direct from Sao Paulo to Medellin.
A video published on the
Chapecoense Facebook page showed team members readying for their
journey earlier on Monday in Sao Paulo's Guarulhos international airport. A
team photograph then showed them preparing to board in Bolivia on the second
leg of their journey.
 |
| The wreckage of the LAMIA airlines charter plane carrying members of the Chapecoense Real football team is seen after it crashed in the mountains of Cerro Gordo |
 |
| There are reports that the team had to change their flight and board the doomed aircraft after Brazilian aviation authorities prevented them from taking a charter plane |
 |
| Crash site: Pictures show how the plane smashed into the side of a mountain after coming down close to the town of La Union |
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| A police searcher looks through the wreckage of the plane as rescuers started to remove bodies from the site this morning |
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| A rescuer walks past the body of a victim from
the LAMIA airlines charter plane crash in the mountains of Cerro Gordo |
 |
| Colombian authorities later said a sixth person was found alive revealing that footballer Helio Hermito Zampier Neto, was in the process of being evacuated. He is pictured being treated by medics |
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| Amid dismal weather conditions, rescuers carry one of the survivors from the LAMIA airlines charter plane to a waiting ambulance |
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| Shocked fans comforted each other outside the home of Chapecoense at the Arena Conda stadium in Chapeco |
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| Chapecoense was traveling on a chartered flight to play Colombian club Atletico Nacional in the Copa Sudamericana final when the plane crashed near Medellin |
The team, from the small
city of Chapeco, was in the middle of a fairy tale season. It joined Brazil's
first division in 2014 for the first time since the 1970s and made it last week
to the Copa Sudamericana finals - the equivalent of the UEFA Europa League
tournament - after defeating Argentina's San Lorenzo.
'May God accompany our
athletes, officials, journalists and other guests travelling with our
delegation' the club said in a brief statement on its Facebook page. The
players looked happy and relaxed as they waited for permission to board.
The mayor of La Ceja, a
nearby town, said on local radio, citing firefighters, that at least 25 people
had been killed in the crash and about five survivors had been rescued - but
few official figures were yet available.
Ambulances ferrying
survivors to hospital can only get to within 30 minutes walk of the spot where
the plane has crashed near the town of La Unión, it has emerged.
Rescuers on foot are
having to stretcher survivors through fog which prevents them from seeing more
than a few feet in front of them, local radio reported. They are then put
into lorries which drive them another 700 metres to the waiting
ambulances.
The pilots and
cabin crew on board the plane that crashed were all Bolivian while most of the
passengers were Brazilian and about 40 were part of the Chapecoense delegation.
 |
| Images emerged online showing players in the
cockpit posing for pictures with pilot Miquel Quiroga, who was believed to have
been flying the doomed plane |
 |
| Pictures have emerged showing members of the crew of the doomed Bolivian aircraft |
 |
| Chapecoense left back Dener Assunção posted this image of players on a flight on his Instagram account |
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| There are reports that 27-year-old defender Alan Ruschel (pictured) was one of just five survivors from the crash and is now being treated in hospital for a broken hip and head injuries |
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| The Chapecoense football team are pictured here on a plane. The footballers had to change their flight and board the plane that crashed after Brazilian aviation authorities prevented them from taking a charter flight, it has been claimed |
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| A video published on the Chapecoense Facebook page showed team members readying for the flight earlier on Monday in Sao Paulo's Guarulhos international airport |
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| A picture posted on a fan site showed former Atletico Madrid player Cleber Santana, 35, on a plane before he was killed in the crash |
 |
| Brazilian aviation authorities said they had denied LaMia's request for a charter flight directly from Sao Paulo, saying only a Brazilian or Colombian company was allowed to operate the requested route |
 |
| Rescue experts started to remove parts of the plane this morning as they worked to clear the scene of the disaster |
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| Pictures show how trees were flattened as the plane came in to land. Reports suggest the captain circled before attempting to land |
They included 20
players, the manager Caio Junior and four other members of his coaching team
including an assistant manager, a personal trainer, a kinesiologist and a
masseur who is said to be among the survivors.
The club's president and
vice-president were also on board along with other club managers. The team
were only about five minutes from their destination when they
crashed.
Among those believed to
have perished on the flight to Medellin are dozens of sports journalists and
well-known football commentators making their way to report on Chapecoense's
history-making game.
They include a
six-strong team from FOX Sports, three reporters from Brazil's main Globo TV
channel, among a total of 21 members of the media.
Among the team from FOX,
which was broadcasting the game, were famous commentators Devair Pascovicci and
Mario Sergio, as well as respected football journalist Victorino
Chermont.
It also emerged Anderson
Paixao, the trainer of both Chapecoense and the Brazilian national side, is
among those not accounted for.
THE AVRO RJ85 PLANE THAT
FIRST FLEW IN 1999
The plane that crashed
was an Avro RJ85, produced by a company that is now part of UK's BAE Systems
(formerly British Aerospace).
Its registration is
CP-2933 and records show the plane first flew in March 1999.
From 1999 to 2007, it
was owned by Mesaba Aviation in the US before it was transferred. It was then
in the hands of CityJet, before being taken over by Bolivian airline LAMIA
in October 2013.
In 2014, part of a wing
on a RJ85 aircraft became partially detached as it left from London City
Airport to Florence. After climbing to 3,000 feet, the aircraft returned to London
City and a new plane was readied.
Production of the RJ
series ended in 2002 with 170 planes built in total.
 |
| Pictured is the plane that crashed in Colombia on Monday night after reportedly suffering power failures |
he RJ85 can hold up to
112 people, but the more typical seating arrangement was for 85 passengers.
According to data from
Flightradar, it had flown around 1848 miles from the Bolivian city of Santa
Cruz.
The RJ85's range is
around 1842 miles when equipped with standard fuel tanks, according to
Airliners.net.
Alfredo Bocanegra, the
head of Colombia's civil aviation agency, said communication with Bolivian
aviation officials suggested the plane was experiencing electrical
problems.
However, he added that
investigators would have to look into reported testimony from a female flight
attendant who said the plane had run out of fuel.
It has also been
revealed the Argentinian national team, which included Lionel Messi and Sergio
Aguero, used the same aircraft to travel to their World Cup qualifier against
Brazil a fortnight ago, which they lost 3-0.
Anderson had first been
called up to train Brazil stars such as Neymar and David Luiz last year for the
Copa America in Chile.
His colleague,
Chapecoense's physio Rafael Gobbato is also believed to be among the
dead.
Meanwhile, it has
emerged that the new mayor-elect of Chapeco escaped the doomed flight - despite
being on the list of those on board. Luciano Bulligon had planned to join his town's
team for their crucial match but changed his mind at the last minute, saying
his schedule was too full.
And Chapecoence player
Alejandro Martinuccio has revealed how an injury is likely to have saved his
life.
The Argentine forward
wasn't able to play in the scheduled match in Colombia, so he wasn't on the
team plane that crashed Monday night in Colombia, killing most of those aboard.
He told Argentina's La Red radio that 'I was saved because I got injured.'
'I feel profound
sadness,' he said. 'The only thing I can ask is prayers for the companions who
were on the flight.'
 |
| Wreckage: A plane carrying 72 passengers including the top flight Brazilian football team Chapecoense has crashed in Colombia |
 |
| Rescuers have faced difficulty reaching the remote crash sites with stretchers being carried down to waiting ambulances |
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| Shocking images showed passengers being rescued from the scene of the crash including Brazilian journalist Rafael Henze |
 |
| Defender Alan Ruschel (pictured on a stretcher) and goalkeeper Danilo Padilha from the top Brazilian side Chapecoense posed for a short video on board a passenger plane as Ruschel, 27, told fans: 'We're coming Colombia.' |
 |
| Ambulances ferrying survivors to hospital can
only get to within 30 minutes walk of the spot where the plane has crashed near
the town of La Unión, it has emerged |
 |
| Images from the site reveal the mangled wreckage of the plane and what appears to be a muddied outfit with the emblem of the Chapecoense football team |
 |
| Rescue teams faced tricky conditions and had to suspend their operation when heavy rain started to fall |
 |
| The plane was flying from Viru Viru airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia and should have landed at Jose Maria Cordova in Colombia |
The 28-year-old has
played for Spain's Villarreal, Penarol of Uruguay and Brazilian clubs Coritiba,
Ponte Preta, Cruzeiro and Fluminense.
Meanwhile the son of
coach Caio Junior who perished in the crash has told how he only didn't board
the doomed aircraft after forgetting his passport.
Some of the lorries are
getting stuck in mud which is making the rescue more difficult. Witnesses
said they have seen five people rescued so far.
FOOTBALLERS, JOURNALISTS
AND CREW: THE VICTIMS OF THE COLOMBIA AIR CRASH
Doctors at several
hospitals are working to stabilise the six survivors of the plane crash that
killed 75 people near Medellin, Colombia. All the injured suffered severe
trauma injuries.
Hospital officials say
Chapecoense player Alan Ruschel appears to be in the most delicate condition.
He's suffered a spinal fracture. Ruschel was stabilised at the San Juan de Dios
hospital and transferred by ambulance to the intensive care unit of
better-equipped facility, where he's awaiting surgery.
San Juan de Dios medical
director Guillermo Leon says defender Helio Zampier arrived shortly after dawn
and is in stable condition with skull and chest injuries.
A third player, Jakson
Follmann, is at another facility and being evaluated for multiple unspecified
injuries.
Journalist Rafael
Valmorbida is recovering from surgery for chest injuries. Bolivian crew
members Ximena Suarez and Erwin Tumiri are listed in stable condition and
recovering.
Other players listed on
the flight included:
Ananias, a 27-year-old
striker; Arthur Maia, a 24-year-old midfielder; Bruno Rangel, a
34-year-old striker; Ailton Canela, a 21-year-old striker; Cleber
Santana, a 35-year-old midfielder; Dener, a 25-year-old
defender; Filipe Machado, a 32-year-old defender; Gil , a 29-year-old
midfielder; Gimenez, a 21-year-old defender; Danilo Padilha, a
31-year-old goalkeeper; Kempes, a 34-year-old striker; Lucas Gomes, a
26-year-old striker; Matheus Biteco, a 21-year-old midfielder; Sergio
Manoel, a 27-year-old midfielder; William Thiago, a 30-year-old
defender; Tiaguinho, a 22-year-old striker; Josimar, a 30-year-old
midfielder; Marcelo Augusto, a 25-year-old defender; Mateus Caramelo,
a 22-year-old defender.
 |
| There were just six survivors from the Colombia air crash, including players Alan Ruschel, Jacson Follmann and Helio Hermito Zampier Neto (second from right in the back row) |
 |
| There were more than 20 media professionals
travelling with the footballers from news organisations including Fox, Globo
and Radio FM. They included the journalist Victorino Chermont (pictured) |
Around 20 other
passengers were members of the Chapecoense tour group. The included the
manager Caio Junior and four other members of his coaching team including an
assistant manager, a personal trainer, a kinesiologist and a masseur who is
said to be among the survivors. The club's president and vice-president
were also on board along with other club managers.
There were more than 20
media professionals travelling with the footballers from news organisations
including Fox, Globo and Radio FM. They included the journalist Victorino
Chermont.
Crew members who died in
the crash included Miguel Quiroga, Ovar Goytia, Sisy
Arias, Romel Vacaflores, Alex Quispe, Gustavo
Encinaand Angel Lugo
Hypothermia is another
concern for those who have survived, because it is only five degrees Celsius.
Nearby hospitals have been placed on 'maximum alert' and are preparing for
injured passengers to be treated.
Video shared on Twitter
claimed to have captured the exact moment the hort-haul plane, operated
by a charter airline named LaMia, dropped from the radar. Shocking images also show the mangled
wreckage of the plane's wing.
Flight tracking service
Flightradar24 said on Twitter the last tracking signal from flight 2933 had
been received when it was at 15,500 feet, about 19 miles from its destination,
which sits at an altitude of 7,000 feet.
 |
| Grief: Supporters of Chapcoense FC gathered at the club in Chapeco, Brazil today as news emerged of the devastating crash |
 |
| Mourning: Fans of Chapecoense soccer team are pictured in front of the Arena Conda stadium in Chapeco, Brazil |
 |
| Supporters gathered outside the club in Brazil as they awaited news on the crash in Colombia earlier today |
The Avro RJ85 was
produced by a company that is now part of UK's BAE Systems. A
civilian aviation database website says that the plane that it made its first
flight on March 1999.
Statistics from
planespotters.net show that the regional plane has had several owners
since.
From 1999 to 2007, it
was owned by Mesaba Aviation in the U.S. before it was transferred. The plane
has been in the hands of Bolivian airline LAMIA since October 2013.
British Aerospace, which
is now known as BAE Systems, says that the first 146 plane took off in 1981 and
that just under 400 - including its successor Avro RJ - were built in total in
the U.K. through November 2003.
It says around 220 of
are still in service in a variety of roles, including aerial firefighting and
overnight freight services.
There are reports that
the plane was 17 years old and that the team had taken the charter flight out
of Bolivia when Brazilian aviation authorities barred the club from chartering
a Bolivian plane direct from Sau Paulo to Medellin.
 |
| A post on the Instagram account of player Filipe Machado (left) showed a picture of an aircraft and a message saying: 'Already in Bolivia, now we're going direct to Medellin, Colombia |
 |
| Hypothermia is another concern for those who have survived, beacuse it is only five degrees Celsius |
 |
| The commander of the Fire Department of La Union reported that five people were being treated at the scene, while the Medellin airport said there were just five survivors |
Instead they had to take
a commercial flight to Santa Cruz de La Sierra in Bolivia, where they got the
plane that crashed, reports in Brazil have claimed.
Hugo Botero Lopez, mayor
of La Union, told Colombian newspaper El Tiempo: 'There are firemen from
La Union, Rionegro, El Carmen de Vibroal, La Ceja, there are more than 90
lifeguards, but it is not easy to get people who are alive.'
'It's a tragedy of huge
proportions,' Medellin's Mayor Federico Gutierrez told Blu Radio on his way to
the site in a mountainous area outside the city where the chartered aircraft is
believed to have crashed shortly before midnight local time
HOW CHAPECOENSE WERE
DENIED PERMISSION TO FLY DIRECT TO COLOMBIA
Chapecoense had wanted
to fly direct from Sao Paulo to Medellin but were barred from doing so
because only a Brazilian or Colombian company was allowed to operate the
requested route, it has emerged.
The pilot of the doomed
flight, Mick Quiroga, asked Luciano Buligon, mayor of the club's
city, Chapeco, whether he could intervene to allow the direct route to go
ahead rather than having to stop off in Bolivia.
The mayor checked with
the National Civil Aviation Agency (ANAC) who confirmed that this route had
been denied.
 |
| The pilot of the doomed flight, Mick Quiroga (pictured), asked Luciano Buligon, mayor of the club's city, Chapeco, whether he could intervene to allow the direct route to go ahead rather than having to stop off in Bolivia |
Instead, the team took a
commercial flight from Sao Paulo to Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia to pick
up the LaMia flight which was being piloted by Quiroga.
In the conversation
Quiroga said: 'I have hired a Bolivian air plane to take us from Sao Paulo
Guarulhos to Santa Cruz. I'll be waiting here in Santa Cruz. This flight leaves
15:00 local time in São Paulo, but what about the process for the other application
to leave from Sao Paulo, because we had approval before to enter through Foz do
Iguacu and go to Chapeco (on a previous trip). Please mayor gives us some help
here for us to enter.'
Chapecoense flew the
first leg of their journey with BoA a Bolivian operator. When they reached,
Bolivia, the passengers changed to the LaMia aircraft.
Local media in Colombia
are reporting that a male passenger has arrived in an ambulance to a hospital
near Medellin.
Blu Radio said the
passenger arrived on a stretcher with an oxygen mask and covered in a blanket.
He appeared to be alive.
'Tonight it was reported
that a plane coming from Viru Viru airport in Santa Cruz, Bolivia, which should
have landed at Jose Maria Cordova, airport had gone off course,' a Colombian
rescue official, Mauricio Parodi, told reporters.
 |
| The British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane, operated by charter airline LaMia, declared an emergency at 10pm local time on Monday because of an electrical failure |
 |
| Remote: Rescuers had to trek 30 minutes in order to reach the crash site which was in a mountainous region of Colombia |
 |
| Emergency crews arrived to find bodies lying on the ground among the wreckage of the aircraft, which was carrying 81 people |
 |
| Heavy rain hampered rescue attempts and some emergency vehicles had to be pushed through the mud |
Rescue teams, from
firefighters to disaster management officials, have been pressed into the
search for survivors, added Parodi, the director of disaster managment for the
province of Antioquia.
Poor weather conditions
made the crash site accessible only by road, airport authorities at Medellin,
where the plane was scheduled to land, said on social network Twitter.
Chapecoense were set to
play Colombian team Atletico Nacional in the South American club tournament's
final on Wednesday, with the return fixture in Brazil on December 7.
It was the first time
the small club from Chapeco had ever reached the final of a major South
American club competition but they were underdogs against a club going for a
rare double after winning the Copa Libertadores in July.
Chapecoense were the
21st biggest club in Brazil in terms of revenue, bringing in 46 million reais
($13.5 million) in 2015, according to an annual rich list compiled by Brazilian
bank Itau BBA.
Local radio said the
team were due to stay at the four-star Hotel San Fernando, an elegant hotel
near Medellin's Botanical Garden.
HOW CHAPECOENSE PLAYERS
WERE IN THE MIDDLE OF A FAIRY TALE SEASON
Why
were Chapecoense heading to Colombia?
Chapecoense were due to
play in the final of the Copa Sudamericana on Wednesday, which is South
America's secondary club competition - an equivalent to the Europa League in
Europe.
They were going to face
Colombian side Atletico Nacional in the first match of the two-legged final. A
video was uploaded by the club to social media showing the players heading on
to the flight.
Chapecoense edged
Argentinian side San Lorenzo 1-1 on away goals in the semi-final to become the
first Brazilian club to reach a major final in South America since 2013.
After the victory, they
were described as 'an unglamorous but growing club' by ESPN.
When
were Chapecoense formed?
Chapecoense are a
relatively young club, formed in 1973 in the city of Chapeco, in south Brazil.
Their stadium, Arena
Conda in Santa Catarina, holds 22,600.
Chapecoense would have
had to have played the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana final at an
alternative venue because CONMEBOL, South America's equivalent to UEFA, state
the final must be played at a venue holding at least 40,000 spectators.
They are managed by Caio
Junior, who has played and coached extensively across Brazil.
 |
| The team joined Brazil's first division in 2014 for the first time since the 1970s and made it last week to the Copa Sudamericana finals - the equivalent of the UEFA Europa League tournament - after defeating Argentina's San Lorenzo |
How
long have they been in Brazil's top division, Serie A?
They have competed in
the first division for three seasons, having made the top tier in 2014.
As recently as 2009,
they were in the fourth tier of Brazilian football and their run to a
continental final this season was rightly heralded as a significant
achievement.
Who
are their most notable players?
Ananias, who is on loan
at the club from Cruzeiro, netted the decisive away goal against San Lorenzo
that got them to the final.
Another loanee at the
club is 21-year-old defensive midfielder Matheus Biteco, from German Bundesliga
side Hoffenheim.
Goalkeeper Marcelo Boeck
spent five years at Sporting Lisbon from 2011-2016, where he was a team-mate of
current Leicester striker Islam Slimani.
Boeck reportedly got in
trouble with Slimani after they won the Potruguese Super Cup in August 2015 and
spraying him with champagne. As a Muslim, Slimani is not allowed to touch
alcohol.
Another of their
well-known players was Cleber Santana, a midfielder whose best years were spent
in Spain with Atletico Madrid and Mallorca.
What
is the reaction to the tragedy in South America?
Chapecoense said on the
club's Facebook page it 'reserves the right to wait for the official
announcement of the Colombian air authority to issue any official statement about
the accident. God be with our athletes, officials, journalists and other guests
who are with the delegation.'
Atletico Nacional said
it 'deeply regrets and sympathizes with @chapecoensereal on the accident and
expects information from authorities.'
CONMEBOL has suspended
all activities until further notice.
The club's vice
president said that the Brazilian city where the team is from is in
tears. Ivan Tozzo said that Chapeco, a city of 200,000 residents in
southern Brazil, is in mourning.
Tozzo told cable channel
SporTV that 'we are very sad, gathered here in the locker room of our stadium.
We are still waiting for news. All our board is there, our players. We have nothing
concrete on their state.'
He said that 'There are
a lot of people crying in our city, we could never imagine this. Chapecoense is
the biggest reason for joy here. We hope there are many survivors, at least
that most of them are OK.'
The South American
soccer federation has cancelled all activities until further notice.
The CONMEBOL federation
said in a statement that its president, Alejandro Dominguez, is on his way to
Medellin.
Atletico Nacional had
said on Twitter: 'National deeply regret and sympathise with @ChapecoenseReal
for the accident which has happened and await information from
authorities.'
 |
| A plane carrying 72 passengers including a
Brazilian football team has crashed in Colombia (pictured, Medellin Airport,
where the team were travelling to) |
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