The bodies of 71 passengers killed in the plane crash in Brazil on Monday have been recovered and the black box retrieved.

There were six survivors.

The cause of the plane crash remains under investigation.

Colombia's national Risk Management and Disaster Unit said that the search operation was closed.

Brazilian President Michel Temer declared three days of mourning, and the United States sent its condolences to the people of Brazil.

The Planalto Palace in the Brazilian capital, Brasilia, was lighted up in the team's green colour in a sign of solidarity.

Chapecoense had played for years in Brazil's lower leagues before breaking out in 2014, and last week it qualified for the Copa Sudamericana finals, a competition spanning South America.

The team was traveling from Santa Cruz, Bolivia, to Medellin's international airport when the plane it was on crashed around 10 p.m. ET about 18 miles from its destination.

"The American people stand with the people of Brazil and Colombia in this difficult moment," the National Security Council said in a statement.

The city of Chapeco mourned Tuesday.

Ory Rodrigues, a journalist for Radio Oeste and a friend and colleague of survivor Rafael Henzel, said most of the houses and cars in the city were flying Chapecoense's flag with a black ribbon.

Many in the street were wearing team jerseys.

Rodrigues said he was anxious for the bodies to be transported to the city, "because it seems you can't realize it until they're here."

Gelson Dalla, a member of Chapecoense's board of directors, said the club planned to have a collective funeral in its stadium, Arena Conda, and then to send the bodies to the cities where they are to be buried.

Many players weren't from Chapeco. -- Bernama