Four children found alive in Colombian jungle 40 days after plane crash
Four children were found alive on Friday in the jungles of Colombia after they went missing in a small plane crash 40 days ago. This was announced on Saturday, June 10, by Colombian President Gustavo Petro on his Twitter.
“Joy for the whole country! Four children who disappeared 40 days ago in the Colombian jungle turned out to be alive,” the head of state wrote, adding that the children tried their best to survive in the middle of the jungle.
According to Reuters, a Cessna 206 flying from the city of Araraquara to San Jose del Guaviare crashed in the jungle on May 1. The crash killed three adults on board, including the pilot and mother of the children.
Brothers and sisters - a boy and three girls - were found by the military near the place where the plane crashed. The youngest child was less than a year old at the time of the incident, while the other children were 4, 9 and 13 years old.
Petro said that the children were together, they are "weak", they are helped by doctors.
Colombian Defense Minister Ivan Velázquez Gomez said the children were recovering at Bogotá's Central Military Hospital and were in stable condition.
He said that the elder sister's "leadership and courage" and her "knowledge of the jungle" helped the rest of the children survive.
The rescue operations involved planes and helicopters of the Colombian army and air force. Rescuers, supported by search dogs, have previously found the remains of fruit that the children ate to survive, as well as makeshift hiding places made by the children.
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