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Plane taking Brazilian soccer team to cup final in Colombia crashes, 71 dead

LA UNION, Colombia/ CHAPECO, Brazil (Reuters) - A plane taking Brazilian soccer team Chapecoense to a South American cup final crashed in Colombia after reporting an electrical fault, killing 71 people, including most of the team and accompanying journalists.

The plane slammed into a mountainside near Medellin on Monday night as the team flew to face Atletico Nacional for the Copa Sudamericana, which is South America's equivalent of the Europa League.

It was Colombia's worst air disaster in two decades and there were only six survivors.

Global soccer was stunned with tributes pouring in from major figures from Pele to Lionel Messi.