Brazil declares 3 days of mourning following Chapecoense disaster

Brazil president Michel Tamer has declared three days of national mourning in the wake of Chapecoense's heartbreaking plane crash on its way to face Atletico Nacional in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final.

The chartered aircraft was carrying 77 passengers to Colombia on Monday night, including 22 staff from the Serie A outfit, but only six survived the impact, which is believed to have stemmed from electrical failure.

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The plane began its journey in Sao Paulo, but made a brief stop in Bolivia, before setting off to its final destination of Colombia's second-largest city, Medellin. It encountered difficulties between the municipalities of La Ceja and La Union in Colombia, before contact was lost about 30 miles short of its destination.