Colombian military aircraft crashes with over 100 soldiers aboard
A Hercules C-130 transport plane crashed during takeoff in Putumayo, southern Colombia, with more than 100 military personnel on board. Rescue teams are operating at the site.
1:34 PM
A Hercules C-130 military transport aircraft operated by Colombia's Air Force crashed Monday shortly after takeoff from Puerto Leguízamo in Putumayo, a department in southern Colombia near the border with Peru.
The aircraft was carrying military personnel. Initial reports indicated approximately 100 to 110 soldiers were aboard, though one military source told Reuters that at least 80 people were on the plane. The exact number of casualties and the precise cause of the accident remain under investigation.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed the incident on social media, stating that rescue teams were already deployed to the crash site. "With deep sorrow I communicate that a Hercules aircraft of our Colombian Military Aeronautics suffered a tragic incident during takeoff from Puerto Leguízamo, while transporting troops of our Public Force," Sánchez said in a statement.
The minister added that rescue units were operating in the area and had evacuated several survivors, with search operations continuing. "The number of victims and the cause of the accident have not yet been determined with precision," he said.
Sánchez stated that all assistance protocols for victims and their families had been activated, along with a corresponding investigation. He expressed condolences to affected families and appealed to the public to avoid speculation pending official information.
President Gustavo Petro commented on the accident via social media, stating that it "should never have happened." Petro criticized what he described as bureaucratic obstacles that had delayed his plans to modernize the Colombian Armed Forces' fleet.
The Hercules C-130, manufactured by Lockheed Martin, is a military transport aircraft capable of carrying approximately 100 people. The crash occurred during the aircraft's departure phase from the airfield in Putumayo, a remote region in the Colombian Amazon.
Rescue operations were underway at the crash site, which officials described as difficult to access. The investigation into the circumstances of the accident was ongoing as of Monday afternoon.