Colombia plane crash: Son of Chapecoense coach Caio Junior escaped death after forgetting passport

THE son of Chapecoense coach Caio Junior escaped death after forgetting his passport for the doomed flight LMI2933.

Matheus Saroli, 25, was supposed to be on the plane carrying the Brazilian football team, which crashed on its way from Sao Paulo to Medellin in Colombia via Bolivia.

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Of the 81 people who were on board, 71 are understood to have lost their lives, with Saroli's father, 51, confirmed to be among them.

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Saroli revealed the news via his Instagram account and asked to be given time to grieve for his dead father.

He said: "Friends, me, my brother and my mum are okay. We need strength and some privacy, especially  my mother.

"But thank you to everyone for all the messages. I was in SP (Sao Paulo) today and I did not board because I had forgotten my passport.

"We are strong and we will get through this. Thank you for all of your messages.”

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READ MORE ON THE COLOMBIA PLANE CRASH:

Manchester United's David De Gea tweets of heartbreak over death of former Atletico team-mate Cleber Santana

Former Champions League star posted final haunting picture from inside doomed flight

Neymar and David De Gea lead crash tributes along with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United

Atletico Nacional 'ask Conmebol to award Chapecoense the title' after team is wiped out in tragic disaster'

Colombia plane crash: Chapecoense goalkeeper Danilo pronounced dead at hospital after 'speaking to wife'

Who is Alan Ruschel? Chapecoense defender and Colombia plane crash survivor - here's what we know

Only a handful of people are thought to have survived what is the biggest air disaster this year.

Defender Alan Ruschel, 27, who posted pictures inside the aircraft just moments before it went down, is one of them.

He was rushed to hospital where he was conscious and talking.

Ruschel was previously pictured in good spirits alongside goalkeeper Danilo, 31, who survived the initial accident but was later pronounced dead at hospital.

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What was meant to have been an monumental moment in the club's history turned into disaster at around 03:15 GMT on Tuesday.

They were flying to Medellin to face Colombian outfit Atletico Nacional in the final of the Copa Sudamericana - South America's second-most prestigious cup competition.

It would have marked a meteoric rise for Chapecoense, who were only promoted to Brazil's top division for the first time in their history in 2014.