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Bolivia says pilot responsible for November crash in Colombia

Xinhua, December 21, 2016 Adjust font size:

Investigators have concluded that Bolivian-owned airline LaMia and its pilot bear "direct responsibility" for the Nov. 28 plane crash that killed 71 people and decimated a Brazilian football team, local media reported on Tuesday.

"This tragic incident is the direct responsibility of the LaMia company and the pilot, Miguel Quiroga," Public Works and Services Minister Milton Claros said at a press conference, according to the Bolivian News Agency (ABI).

The Bolivian investigation was handled by the ministry. Brazil and Colombia are also investigating the causes of the crash, which shocked the football world.

LaMia flight 2933 crashed just moments before it was scheduled to land in Medellin, Colombia. Six people survived the crash.

Leaked flight recordings revealed the pilot reported the plane ran out of fuel and was having electrical failures.

Following the tragedy, Bolivia suspended key aeronautical officials and decided to "redouble" its oversight of flight agencies, such as the General Direction of Civil Aviation and the Administration of Airports and Aerial Navigation Auxiliary Services.

Celia Castedo, an Bolivian airport official who was responsible for authorizing the plane to take off, later fled the country and sought refuge in Brazil.

Claros said administrative and criminal sanctions were being drawn up against Castedo. Other civil aviation officials will also face sanctions. Endi