Hundreds of fans and family members gather at the Chapecoense stadium

The rain that fell in the small city of Chapeco, in the southern state of Santa Catarina, didn't stop the Arena Conda from becoming a meeting point for worried fans and family members of the victims who were looking for more information.

The supporters, many wearing the team's shirt or dressed in green, the team's colours, arrived at the stadium with candles and flowers in homage to the victims.

The Brazilian team was travelling to Colombia to play the first leg of the final of the Copa Sudamericana against Atletico Nacional and the air accident caused the death of around 75 of 81 people who were on the aircraft, according to the latest figures given by the Colombian police.

The plane belonged to Bolivian company 'Lamia' and had been chartered by Chapecoense, who brought a plane-full of players, directors and special guests for their first ever international final in their 43 years of history.

The few directors who stayed at the club had to improvise a support system for the family members of the victims and a way of passing on information to the hundreds of people who came to the Arena Conda.

Families were invited into a private room, where they were seen to by doctors and psychologists hired by the club, while fans remained outside, showing their inevitable dismay.

The eight Chapecoense players who didn't travel with the club who were either injured or unfiit, went to the dressing rooms after finding out the news, also receiving special attention.

Chapecoense directors didn't authorise entry into the stadium as they didn't know if or when it would be used as a place to pay homage to the victims.

In hope of the possible opening of the stadium, fans spaced themselves out between the car parks and the Events Centre, where they sang chants in support of the team and prayed for victims.

The atmosphere of sadness in the city of just 200,000 people was not only evident around the stadium, but in the whole city which was practically paralised. The local government called for official mourning of 30 days, suspended classes in public schools and cancelled events related to Christmas and new year.

The team left on Monday from Sao Paulo airport, with overwhelming excitement and hope that they could win the first leg of the final against Atletico Nacional, but their plan was cut short just a few kilometres short of the Colombian city of Medellin.

What was meant to be a party, ended up being a tragedy.

The club won promotion to the top division of Brazilian football in 2014 and two years later, reached the final of the Copa Sudamericana, which they would have played against Atletico Nacional.