Both sides of the Mexico-U.S. border mourn today as evidence continues to suggest iconic Mexican-American superstar Jenni Rivera was killed along with six others when her plane crashed in northern Mexico.
Authorities have yet to officially confirm the singer's death, but as a search of the crash area trudges forward, Mexican officials are currently performing DNA tests on remains believed to belong to Rivera, the Huffington Post reported. Investigators said it would take days to piece together the wreckage of the plane carrying Rivera and find out why it went down.
Human remains were reportedly found in the wreckage and then moved to a hospital in Monterrey, the closest major city to the crash. Rivera's brother Lupillo was driven to an area where the remains are being kept, said the Post.
Speaking on condition of anonymity because of the ongoing investigation, a state official said investigators were testing DNA from the remains in order to provide families with definitive confirmation of the deaths of their loved ones.
Alejandro Argudin, of Mexico's civil aviation agency, said it would take at least 10 days scour the wreckage, which is spread out over an area that spans more than 320 yards, and to have a preliminary report on what happened to the plane.
Meanwhile, Rivera's family is struggling to come to grips with the horrific events. "The plane was totally destroyed. ... It is a great tragedy," her brother, Gustavo Rivera, told CNN en Español.
The plane crash left no survivors, and the singer's publicist, lawyer and makeup artists were among those killed, added Gustavo Rivera.
Another brother, Juan Rivera, seemed to hold out hope at a news conference Monday evening, saying: "In our eyes we will have faith that our sister will be OK. We have no confirmation of her body being recovered, dead or alive."
Rivera and her crew were flying in a small Learjet plane that was over 43-years-old, according to Mexico's state-run news agency, Notimex, citing the director of civil aviation for Mexico's Transportation Ministry.
The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board said Monday that it was dispatching a team to help with the investigation.
Rivera's plane was also substantially damaged in a 2005 accident when it struck a runaway marker near Amarillo, Texas, according to the agency's records. At the time, the plane's pilot reported losing the ability to steer the twin-engine turbojet.
Rivera's fans the world over are still processing the travesty and grieving for their idol.
"The world rarely sees someone who has had such a profound impact on so many," Universal Music Group said in a statement. "From her incredibly versatile talent to the way she embraced her fans around the world, Jenni was simply incomparable. "
"Known to fans as 'La Diva de la Banda' or The Diva of Banda Music, Rivera was well-established as a musical powerhouse with her Spanish-language performances of regional Mexican corridos, or ballads. For fans, the nickname captured her powerful voice and the personal strength many admired," said USA Today.
After dominating Latin charts for years, many saw Rivera as poised to take on the English-language market. Rivera sold 15 million records, according to Billboard, and recently won two Billboard Music Awards, including favorite Mexican music female artist.
The Banda Music singer was nominated for various Latin Grammy Awards in 2002, 2008 and 2011. In October, People en Español named her to its list of the 25 most powerful women.
Rivera was as famous for her music as she was her often turbulent personal life. The performer became a single mom at 15-years-old and it s mother of five, according to her website.
Her candid approach to handling her problems won her a devoted fan base, said Raul Molinar, a Dallas-based radio DJ who interviewed the star several times.
"She was a real woman," he said, "and she would express her feelings -- onstage, off stage, anywhere."
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