A young mother and her baby have been found alive five days after their plane crashed in the jungle of western Colombia, BBC reports.

A Colombian Air Force chief described their survival as “a miracle”.

Maria Nelly Murillo, 18, and her one-year-old son were found by rescuers near to where their small Cessna plane crashed in Choco province.

Ms Murillo had some injuries and burns while her baby appeared to be in good health.

The twin-engine plane had been flying from Quibdo, the capital of Choco, to the town of Nuqui on the Pacific coast when it crashed in the Alto Baudo region on Saturday. The cause of the crash is not yet known.