A Colombian Air Force plane crashed shortly after takeoff in southern Colombia, leaving at least 66 people dead and dozens injured, officials confirmed.
Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda said that the aircraft, a US-made C-130 Hercules used for transporting troops, was carrying 114 army personnel and 11 crew members. The crash occurred near the town of Puerto Leguízamo in Putumayo province.
Emergency workers were seen searching the wreckage for survivors, while local media shared images of smoke rising from the site and trucks transporting soldiers to the area. Footage also showed locals moving injured personnel to hospitals on small motorbikes.
Pedro Sánchez described the incident as “a tragic accident while it was taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, transporting troops of our security forces,” and confirmed that ammunition on board detonated due to a fire on the aircraft.
Military sources reported that 58 soldiers, six air force personnel, and two police officers were among the deceased.
President Gustavo Petro expressed deep sorrow over the crash on X, blaming bureaucratic delays for hindering plans to modernise the armed forces’ equipment and aircraft. He stated, “I will allow no further delays, the lives of our young people are at stake.”
The crash is considered one of the deadliest accidents in recent history for the Colombian Air Force. Last month, a similar incident occurred in Bolivia when a C-130 Hercules carrying banknotes crashed in the country’s west, killing at least 20 people.
The cause of the Colombia crash remains under investigation.
