Epress.am News from Armenia
The plane hit short of the runway on Colombia’s San Andres Island and skidded on its belly as the fuselage fractured and bits of landing gear and at least one engine were ripped off. The jet wound up on one end of the runway, crumpled and in pieces, as passengers scrambled or were helped to safety.
Of the 125 passengers and six crew members aboard the Aires airline jet, the only one killed was a 68-year-old woman, Amar Fernandez de Barreto, said San Andres Gov. Pedro Gallardo.
Officials said 119 people were treated or checked at clinics and five of them were seriously injured.
Ninety-nine passengers were taken to Amor de Patria Hospital on San Andres, said Dr. Robert Sanchez, the hospital director. “It’s incredible. For the dimension (of the accident), there should be more,” he said.
Sanchez said an initial examination indicated that the single fatality may have been caused by a heart attack.