FOUR Indigenous children who disappeared 40 days ago after surviving a small plane crash in the Amazon jungle were found alive on Friday, Colombian authorities announced, ending an intense search that gripped the nation.

The children were alone when searchers found them and are now receiving medical attention, President Gustavo Petro told reporters upon his return to Bogota from Cuba, where he signed a ceasefire agreement with representatives of the National Liberation Army rebel group.

 

The President said the youngsters are an “example of survival” and predicted their saga “will remain in history.” No details were immediately released on how the youngsters managed to survive on their own for so many days. The crash happened in the early hours of May 1, when the Cessna single-engine propeller plane with six passengers and a pilot declared an emergency due to an engine failure. The small aircraft fell off radar and a frantic search for survivors began later. On May 16, a search team found the plane in a thick patch of the rainforest.