Colombia’s military says it believes four indigenous children who went missing after a plane crash in the Amazon four weeks ago are still alive.
The youngest child is only 11 months old, while the other three are 4, 9 and 13 years old. The pilot, an indigenous leader and the children’s mother lost their lives when the small plane they were traveling in crashed in southeastern Colombia on May 1.
Since the accident, the children have been wandering through the woods, satellites picking up traces of their path. Rescue workers found some of the things they had brought with them, as well as a place to stay and half-eaten fruit. Last week they found a pair of shoes and a diaper.
– Based on the effects, we concluded that the children are still alive. If they were dead, they would be easy to find, because they wouldn’t have moved, and tracking dogs would have found them, Gen. Pedro Sanchez, who is leading the search, says in a radio interview.
About 200 soldiers and indigenous representatives who know the area comb the 320 square kilometers of dense jungle. The area is somewhat smaller than Mjøsa.
The Norwegian Armed Forces issued 10,000 leaflets encouraging children to remain calm. Older children should be well acquainted with the jungle.
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