COLOMBIA: Colombian military airplane crashes killing all 11 people on board

Air force says wreckage of twin-engine CASA-235 was found in northern province of Cesar following report of motor failure

A Colombian military transport plane has crashed in the northern part of the country, killing all 11 people on board.

An air force statement said the twin-engine CASA-235 reported a motor problem before it disappeared. The wreckage was found in the province of Cesar.

It was not clear what led to the motor failure, but local media said the aircraft was struck by a lightning bolt while flying through bad weather.

The Colombian president, Juan Manuel Santos, initially reported the accident on Twitter and said 12 people were killed. He tweeted condolences for the “heroes” who lost their lives in the accident.