On Wednesday, the civil aviation authority of Colombia said that a small plane crashed in central Meta department, killing five members of Colombia's Democratic Center party along with the pilot.
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According to official local media statements, the plane was flying from Villavicencio to Bogotá for a party gathering.
The party identified the victims as former senator and ambassador Nohora Tovar and her husband, Guillermo Perez, the party's coordinator in Meta; Dimas Barrero, a deputy representing Meta; Felipe Carreno, the department's gubernatorial candidate; Oscar Rodriguez, a Villavicencio councilman; and the pilot, Heliodoro Alvarez.
According to the agency statement, the Cessna T210N, which served as an air shuttle, "took off from the airport in Villavicencio (Meta's capital) at 7:40 a.m. (1240 GMT) and last had contact with air traffic control at 7:58 a.m. (1258 GMT)."
The agency said that it has "assigned a team of experts to gather evidence to determine the possible causes of the accident."
Álvaro Uribe, former president of Colombia and a founder of the party, expressed his grief on Twitter about the accident, adding he was following the progress of the investigation.