Bogota, Colombia

After more than five weeks since their plane crashed in a dense jungle, four children from an Indigenous community in Colombia have been miraculously found alive in the southern part of the country. The siblings were rescued by the military near the border between Colombia's Caqueta and Guaviare provinces, close to the crash site of the small aircraft.

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The plane crash

During the early hours of May 1, a Cessna 206, carrying seven individuals from Araracuara in Amazonas province to San Jose del Guaviare in Guaviare province, issued a distress signal due to engine failure. 

Three adults, including the pilot and the children's mother Magdalena Mucutuy, lost their lives in the crash and were found deceased inside the plane. However, the four siblings — three girls and one boy, aged 13, 9, 4, and a baby who is now 12 months old, managed to survive the impact.

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Also read | Colombia searching Amazon for missing plane crash passengers

Narcizo Mucutuy, the grandfather of the four children, expressed his joy upon hearing about the rescue of his grandchildren. Talking to reporters, he said, "As the grandfather to my grandchildren who went missing in the jungles of the Yari, at this moment I am very happy."

A joy for the whole country

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Photographs shared by the Colombian military depict a group of soldiers standing with the four children in the heart of the jungle.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro shared his excitement about the news via Twitter. He wrote: "A joy for the whole country! The four children who were lost in the Colombian jungle appeared alive."

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Previously, on May 17, Petro had prematurely reported the discovery of the children in a now-deleted tweet. He later explained that the information was unverified. 

Also read | Colombia president retracts claim children found after plane crash

However, during a press briefing on Friday, he confirmed their rescue and mentioned that the children had managed to fend for themselves in the middle of the jungle. He said, "They were together, they are weak, let's let the doctors assess them. They found them, it makes me very happy."

How did rescue teams find the kids after more than a month in the thick jungle?

As per Reuters, rescue teams, with the assistance of search dogs, had previously discovered discarded fruits that the children had consumed to survive. They also came across improvised shelters crafted from jungle vegetation.

The rescue operations also involved the participation of aeroplanes and helicopters from Colombia's army and air force.

(With inputs from agencies)

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