Chapecoense Tragedy: What Caused the Plane to Crash in Colombia?

Rescue and forensic teams recover the bodies of victims of the LAMIA airlines charter that crashed in the mountains of Cerro Gordo in Colombia, on November 29, 2016, carrying members of the Brazilian football team Chapecoense. (Getty)

Investigators are still working to determine the cause of a plane crash in Colombia that killed 76 people, including several members of the Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense, and prominent sports journalists.

The plane crashed Monday night near its destination of Medellin, Colombia, after taking off from Bolivia. The soccer team was on its way to the final of the Copa Sudamericana tournament, which was scheduled for Wednesday.

Six people were pulled from the plane alive, and one died en route to the hospital, officials said.

According to The Telegraph, the plane was a British Aerospace 146 short-haul plane,being operated by LaMia, a charter airline company.

The plane declared an emergency about 10 p.m. local time and lost radar contact because of an electrical failure, The Telegraph reports.

The wreckage of the plane was found in the mountains outside of Medellin.

It is still not known what caused the plane to crash. Investigators are looking at electrical issues and lack of fuel as two possible causes, the Associated Press reports.

A flight attendant who survived told investigators the plane had run out of fuel prior to the crash. But communication from Bolivian aviation officials suggested electrical problems, according to the AP.

The plane has a maximum range of about 2,965 kilometers, the Associated Press reports. It is about that distance from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Medellin.

Investigators recovered two black boxes at the scene, an official tweeted:

It is not known how long it will take for an exact cause to be determined.