Missing children found alive in Colombia jungle after 40 days | Abroad

The children, who belong to the indigenous Huitoto community, were found after a weeks-long search and brought to safety by military, firefighters and aviation authorities in southeastern Colombia. “A joy for the whole country! The four children lost in the Colombian jungle 40 days ago have been found alive,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote on Twitter.

The president also indicates that the children are weakened and that doctors are now taking care of them. “They were alone, they managed it themselves. This is an example of survival that will go down in history.” According to their loved ones, the children are used to life in the jungle and know how to survive there.

According to Colombian media, the children suffer from dehydration, malnutrition and insect bites. A Colombian army helicopter is said to be on its way to collect the four and transfer them to the capital Bogotá for medical treatment.

Lesly Mucutuy (13), her brothers Soleiny (9) and Tien Noriel (4) and sister Cristin (who turned 1 during the disappearance) had been missing since May 1, after the plane carrying the children and three adults crashed in the Amazon rainforest , in the vicinity of the city of San José del Guaviare, in central Colombia. The adults, including the children’s mother, were killed. The cause of the crash is not yet known.

When emergency services were able to reach the difficult-to-access site of the crash two weeks later, they found the bodies of the three dead adults. A massive search was then launched for the four children.

Several clues have since been found that the four might still be alive, such as footprints, pieces of clothing, a pair of scissors, a baby bottle, half-eaten fruit, a diaper, a towel, and a shelter made with branches. A telephone accessory, a bottle cap and a pair of shoes believed to belong to 4-year-old Tien Noriel were also found.