Bogota: A Colombian airliner carrying 132 people crashed and broke into pieces while landing on the Caribbean resort island San Andres on Monday during a storm, but only one person died in what police called 'a miracle'.
Authorities said 114 passengers were hurt in the predawn crash of the Boeing 737-700 passenger jet operated by local airline Aires, adding that the lone death was because of a heart attack and not injuries from the accident.
A Colombian aviation official said the pilot reported that the plane had been struck by lightning.
Witnesses said it was fortunate more people were not killed considering the plane's fuselage cracked into three parts on impact.
"It's a miracle," National Police General Orlando Paez said. "The skill of the pilot kept the plane from sliding off the runway. The engines of the aircraft shut down on impact."
The jet was carrying 126 passengers, including four children, and six crew members, said an aeronautics official. The flight from the Colombian capital Bogota to San Andres crashed on landing amid lightning and strong winds.
The injured were taken to local hospitals. Many were later transported to Bogota for further care.
A woman passenger identified as Amar Fernandez de Barreto suffered a heart attack just after the accident and died on her way to a local clinic.
"The pilot of the plane told us it was struck by lighting. We are inspecting the wreckage to try to establish what the damages were and what caused the accident," said Donald Tascon, deputy director of Colombia's aeronautics authority.
"We were fine until they announced that we were about to land," said passenger Heriberto Rua, who was on his way to San Andres for a vacation with his wife and five daughters. "Then I felt an impact. My seat was knocked loose but I was able to unbuckle myself and get two of my daughters out."
Colombian Transportation Minister German Cardona told reporters that the plane had been inspected eight days earlier and found to be in good mechanical condition. "It was a new plane, recently acquired by Aires," he said.
Boeing issued a statement saying it was sending a team to San Andres, at the invitation of Colombian authorities, to inspect the wreckage and help establish the cause of the crash.
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