24 November 2023 , 16:39
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A Christmas lights display of a plane crash that killed a Brazilian football team has sparked outrage among locals, with one describing it as "tasteless".
The festive decorations depict the doomed LaMia Flight 2933, which crashed near Medellín, Colombia, on November 28, 2016. The plane was transporting the first-team squad and staff members of the Brazilian football club, Chapecoense, from Bolivia to the city.
They were due to play at the 2016 Copa Sudamericana Finals. The accident resulted in the deaths of 71 of the 77 people on board. Three players, one of the four crew members, and two other passengers survived the crash.
The display has been criticised by locals (Jam Press)
It was erected close to the crash site in the municipality of La Unión (Jam Press)The Christmas lights display was erected close to the crash site in the municipality of La Unión, Antioquia Department. Organisers said the decoration is meant to pay tribute to the victims ahead of the seventh anniversary of the disaster as well as serve as a Christmas display.
However, many residents feel it is disrespectful to the 71 people who lost their lives. One local said: “It's a total embarrassment.” Another commented: “Perverse. Unnecessary.”
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Sara wrote: “Terrible.” Juan remarked: “Tasteless!” Daniela said: “Awful. Shameful.” Sebastián Gómez, former director of the Chapecoense Museum, which honours the victims of the accident, said the display seems more like a “tabloid joke” than a tribute.
The mayor’s office has yet to respond to the backlash to the installation. The lights in La Unión are due to be turned on in an official ceremony tomorrow.
Rescuers search for survivors from the wreckage of the Lamia airlines charter plane (Getty Images)Following the tragic crash, survivors revealed that passengers onboard the plane screamed for their lives as the jet plummeted to the ground. Just six people survived and the day after the tragedy, some of them spoke for the first time about the moments before impact.
Crew member Erwin Tumiri told how passengers were left terrified as the plane began to plummet to the ground. He said: "I saved myself because I followed the emergency protocol, putting bags between my legs and put myself in the fetal position. I also saw how many passengers rose and began to scream."
Air stewardess Ximena Suarez, who was found hours after the crash near the wreckage, also described the horrifying moment the plane crashed to the ground. Speaking to the newspaper El Colombiano, she said: "The plane went out completely and had a sharp decline, followed by a big impact."