Colombia plane crash: Rescued kids face custody battle between relatives

Four Indigenous children who had survived an air crash were rescued from the Colombian Amazon after they wandered there for 40 days. They were left stranded in the jungle after their plane travelling between Araracuara and San Jose del Guaviare crashed on May 1, killing three adults, including the mother of the minor kids.

Reports have mentioned that siblings Lesly, Soleiny, Tien Noriel and Cristin — aged 13, nine, five and one, respectively — were receiving treatment at a military hospital in Bogota. But after their stunning rescue, a custody battle has started among their relatives, with the father of two of them facing accusations of domestic violence.

News agencies quoted welfare officials as saying on Monday (June 12) that the kids are recovering and in "high spirits". In a video sent to the media, Adriana Velasquez of the Colombian Family Welfare Institute said that the children have been colouring, and drawing. "They love to talk," she said, further mentioning that they are even drawing a picture thought to depict a missing army search dog.

The kids are expected to stay at the hospital for several days and during the same period, the authorities will interview family members to decide who should take the responsibility of taking care of them.

The maternal grandparents want custody as they are vying with the father for the two youngest children. They have requested to assign a caseworker to the children, said Astrid Cáceres while speaking during an interview with BLU radio.

Cáceres, who is the head of the Colombian Institute of Family Welfare, said, "We are going to talk, investigate, learn a little about the situation." She further added that the agency has not ruled out that they and their mother may have experienced domestic abuse.

She said, "The most important thing at this moment is the children's health, which is not only physical but also emotional, the way we accompany them emotionally."

Watch:Columbia Amazon miracle: Father of two survivors speak on ordeal

Eldest pulled youngest sister from plane wreckage

The children's grandfather said on Monday that the eldest of the four children pulled her youngest sibling from the wreckage. In videos posted by the defence ministry, grandfather Narciso Mucutuy said that the oldest sister, Lesly, pulled the youngest child, Cristin, from the plane. Lesly has been hailed by authorities for showing courage during difficult circumstances.

Mucutuy said at the Bogota military hospital where the children are being treated that "when she looked and saw that her mother was dead, she saw the feet of her youngest sister where the three dead were and she pulled her out."

(With inputs from agencies)

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