On Monday night, November twenty-eighth, tragedy struck Brazil. A plane carrying many Brazilian citizens went down near Medellin, Colombia and crashed into a mountain. Seventy-one people were killed and only six of the passengers survived. Included on the flight were members of Chapecoense, a club soccer team in Brazil. Only three players on the team survived the crash.

One of the saddest parts of this story is that the team was headed to Colombia to play in the Copa Sudamericana cup final the next day, which would have been their biggest game in history. The club is a relatively new team, but they became beloved by Brazilian soccer fans because of their humble and unexpected rise to the top. The Copa Sudamericana is the second-largest intercontinental club competition in South America, so making it to the final was a huge success for the lesser-known team. It is devastating that their season had to end like this.

The cause of the crash is still being investigated, but evidence from the wreckage points to a lack of fuel. According to the secretary of airline security at Colombia’s aviation authority, the plane did not have enough fuel to meet the regulations for emergencies. The airline responsible for the crash, LAMIA, currently has their operating license suspended as a result of the incident. We can only hope that the issues that led to the crash are resolved.

One positive thing that came from this tragic event is a sense of community. Soccer fans across the nation came together to pay tribute to the team and to comfort and support each other. We should all learn to be more kind and caring towards each other because you never know what could happen at any moment in any place in the world, especially during this time when we are remembering to be thankful for everything that we have. My prayers go out to the families and friends of the victims of the crash, the survivors, and the Brazilian soccer community as they attempt to rebuild a remarkable team.

Sources:

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/29/americas/colombia-plane-accident/

http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/29/football/brazil-chapecoense-plane-crash/index.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-colombia-crash-idUSKBN13P0F2