A state-run Satena Beechcraft 1900 turboprop carrying 13 passengers and two crew members crashed Wednesday in the rural Norte de Santander region of northeast Colombia, killing everyone on board, authorities confirmed.

The small aircraft departed Camilo Daza International Airport in Cúcuta at about 11.42 am local time, bound for Ocaña. It was scheduled to land around 12.05 pm but lost contact with air traffic control at 11.54 am, shortly after takeoff.

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Among the dead was Colombian congressman Diógenes Quintero, a representative elected in 2022 under the “special peace constituencies” to represent victims of the internal armed conflict under the 2016 peace accords. Also listed among the victims were members of his team, including his assistant, and Carlos Salcedo, a candidate in the upcoming elections.

Quintero’s communications team reported losing contact with him and his assistant after takeoff. The U Party, which nominated Quintero, said he was “a leader committed to his region, with a firm vocation for service and a deep sense of public responsibility.”

The crash comes in a region known for mountainous terrain and quickly changing weather, and parts of the area are affected by the presence of armed groups, including the ELN Colombian authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the accident.