An Australian comedian and AFL podcaster is being slammed for joking about the tragic air disaster in Colombia which killed 75 people, including at least 22 members of Brazilian football team, Chapecoense.

Adam Rozenbachs – a stand-up comedian who has written jokes for Before The Game and Spicks & Specks and has broadcasted on Triple M and Nova 100 radio – took to Twitter hours after the crash on Tuesday evening (AEDT) to make light of the situation.

Haha nar mate, @arozenbachs deleted tweet, after writing this in response to 75 dead in #Chapecoense tragedy all my followers PLS report him pic.twitter.com/RLh3PhAsb5

— Eli (@ElMengem) November 29, 2016

Shortly after deleting his tweet Rozenbachs posted this apology:

https://twitter.com/arozenbachs/status/803542672916946944

However, the apology seemed to compound the backlash, as users pointed out he must have known “the gravity of the situation” given his reference to “survivors” in the initial joke.

Of the 75 confirmed deaths, at least 22 were from the Brazilian top-flight football team Chapecoense, and 22 others were journalists following the team.

The Chapecoense squad had been travelling to Colombia to play the first leg of the final of South American continental tournament the Copa Sudamericana.

It was to be the biggest game in the club’s history. Now in the top division, the club had been playing in division four in 2009.

“This morning I said goodbye to them and they told me they were going after the dream, turning that dream into reality,” Chapecoense board member Plino de Nes told TV Globo. “The dream was over early this morning.”

75 ppl have died, including an entire football team. You're a disgrace!

— David Davutovic (@davutovic) November 29, 2016

https://twitter.com/spotter75/status/803719275508862976

But you said 'survivors', so you thought it would be funny despite knowing there were casualties? Hope you lose work from this.

— Simon Harrison (@simonhfootball) November 29, 2016

Three players survived the crash however one died in hospital, the goalkeeper, Marcos Danilo Padilha.

The final has been cancelled, and football-mad Brazil, plus the world football community, were in deep mourning following the tragedy.

Liverpool and Leeds United in England paid tribute to the disaster with a moment’s silence before their EFL Cup quarter-final at Anfield on Wednesday morning.

https://twitter.com/wscsm1/status/803697869777698816

Rozenbachs’ “joke” has made headlines around the world. It has been reported on by numerous South American and European news agencies.