The twin-engine propeller plane crashed in the province of Meta, killing all on board, civil aviation agency says.

Fourteen people were killed in a plane crash in the Colombian province of Meta on Saturday, the country’s civil aviation agency has said.

The Special Administrative Unit of Civil Aeronautics said there were no survivors of the crash, which occurred after the DC-3 aircraft made a distress call at 10:40am local time (15:40 GMT).

The US-made twin-engine propeller plane was en route to central Villavicencio from the southern city of San Jose del Guaviare, the agency added.

“Unfortunately… there were no survivors,” the agency said, adding that the wreckage was found close to Villavicencio.

The plane of Laser Aereo Airlines – a cargo and passenger transport company – crashed midway through its flight, in San Carlos de Guaroa municipality.

The airline said it had no comment to offer immediately.

The plane’s navigability permissions were up-to-date, as were the medical certifications of its crew, according to the civil aviation authority [EPA]

Among the victims was the Mayor of the municipality of Taraira, Doris Villegas, her husband and daughter, as well as the owner of the aircraft, pilot Jaime Carrillo, copilot Jaime Herrera and an aviation technician, identified as Alex Moreno.

President Ivan Duque paid tribute to the victims on Twitter. “My solidarity with the families,” he wrote.

The aircraft’s navigability permissions were up-to-date, as were the medical certifications of its crew, the aviation agency said.