A Colombian Air Force aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff in the southern region of the country, resulting in at least 66 fatalities and numerous injuries, according to official reports.
Air Force Commander Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda confirmed that the manifest included 114 army personnel and 11 crew members.
The aircraft, identified as a US-manufactured C-130 Hercules utilized for troop transport, went down near the town of Puerto Leguízamo, situated in Putumayo province.
Emergency responders were dispatched to the crash site and were observed conducting search and rescue operations amid the wreckage. The cause of the incident is currently under investigation.
Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez stated that the Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 transport plane suffered “a tragic accident during its takeoff from Puerto Leguízamo, while transporting troops of our security forces.”
He characterized the incident, which occurred near the border with Peru, as “deeply saddening for the nation.”
Minister Sánchez later reported that ammunition onboard detonated due to a fire that erupted on the aircraft.
A military source informed AFP that 58 soldiers, along with six air force personnel and two police officers, perished in the crash.
Additionally, two military sources independently confirmed to Reuters that the death toll had reached 66.
This incident marks one of the most devastating accidents in the Colombian Air Force’s recent history.
Images circulating in local media depict a plume of smoke emanating from the crash site, accompanied by trucks transporting soldiers to the affected area.
Footage from local news outlets also appears to show local residents transporting individuals believed to be injured soldiers from the accident site to medical facilities via small motorbikes.
President Gustavo Petro expressed on X (formerly Twitter) that “this horrendous accident…should not have happened.”
In his extended statement, he also attributed blame to “bureaucratic problems” that he says have impeded his efforts to modernize the armed forces’ equipment, including aircraft.
“I will allow no further delays; the lives of our young people are at stake,” he stated, without elaborating on the potential causes of the accident.
Last month, a Bolivian Air Force C-130 Hercules transporting banknotes crashed in the western part of the country, resulting in at least 20 fatalities.
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