Colombian singer Yeison Jiménez among six killed in plane crash after tragic final post
All six people on board died when private aircraft crashed in Colombia, authorities say
A Colombian singer is among the six people who have been killed in a plane crash.
Yeison Jiménez and the five other people on board the private aircraft all died in the crash in central-eastern Colombia on Saturday, authorities have confirmed.
The Sun reported the 34-year-old had written a poignant social media post before boarding the flight, saying: “Always humble, because what God gives you he can also take away.”
The other victims have been identified as Jiménez, the pilot Captain Hernando Torres, and passengers Juan Manuel Rodríguez, Óscar Marín, Jefferson Osorio, and Weisman Mora.
Jiménez, whose full name is Yeison Orlando Jiménez Galeano, was one of the most famous música popular artists in Colombia, producing eight albums in a 25-year career. He has been credited with revitalising the genre, originally a form of folk music that began in the Paisa Region in northwestern Colombia between the 1930s and 1940s.
The singer was headed to a concert on Saturday night, but crashed just after take-off and became engulfed in flames, according to reports.
In videos circulating on local media, shouts of “the runway is run out” can be heard as the aircraft takes off, with images showing the later wreckage of the plane on fire.
The plane, registered as N325FA, crashed in the Paipa and Duitama area in the department of Boyacá while travelling to Medellín, the Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement.
Transportation minister Maria Fernanda Rojas said an investigation into the cause of the crash has begun. The Civil Aviation Authority added that the Technical Directorate for Accident Investigation has started collecting evidence.
The Boyacá governor’s office has declared a period of mourning. Messages have been pouring in from fans paying tribute to Jiménez.
In response to a statement issued on social media about his death, one wrote: “I never thought I’d see a post like this so soon. This is all so painful. My deepest condolences to the family. I’m praying for you.”
Another said: “Rest in peace, Master. Thank you for your music, your example to follow, your performance that will always remain in our celebrations, and that voice that sang to us with all its heart.”
And one more added: “You will always be the best. RIP. This news is hard to believe. Your loss hurts so much. God give strength to the families. You leave a huge void.”
Fellow música popular’ artist Andrés García is among the high-profile figures who have also paid their respects. He said: “I dare say that we’ve lost the number one artist in the popular music genre in Colombia and the world. What a great legacy you left us, @yeison_jimenez, an artist who didn’t live with arrogance, with remarkable humility. Fly high, Champion. Strength to all his family.”
Jiménez became the first singer of the genre to sell out tickets for a solo show when he performed at the Movistar Arena in Bogotá in 2024.
Born in Manzanares, Caldas, in 1991, he dedicated himself to his music career full-time from the age of 17, releasing his first commercial song “Te Deseo Lo Mejor” in 2013. Popular releases such as songs “Aventurero” and” Hasta La Madre”, and album Con el Corazón followed.
The singer has garnered 2.75 million subscribers on YouTube and has 3.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify.
He also served as a celebrity judge on the popular Latin American reality TV competition Yo Me Llamo in 2021.
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