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Crash kills 66 after takeoff in southern Colombia
A Colombian Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft crashed shortly after departing from Puerto Leguízamo in Putumayo province on Tuesday, leaving at least 66 people dead and numerous others injured, according to military officials.
Casualties and response
The aircraft was carrying 114 army personnel and 11 crew members when it went down near the Peruvian border. Emergency teams were dispatched to the scene, where they searched through the wreckage for survivors.
Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed that ammunition stored on board detonated due to a fire on the plane. The exact cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Two military sources told Reuters that 66 people had died, including 58 soldiers, six air force personnel, and two police officers.
Reactions and statements
President Gustavo Petro expressed outrage over the incident, calling it a "horrendous accident" in a post on X. He criticized bureaucratic delays in modernizing the armed forces' equipment, vowing to prevent further hold-ups, though he did not specify what might have caused the crash.
"This should not have happened... I will allow no further delays; the lives of our young people are at stake."
President Gustavo Petro
Defence Minister Sánchez described the crash as a "tragic accident" and a "deeply sad" moment for the nation.
Scene and aftermath
Local media shared images of a large plume of smoke rising from the crash site, along with footage of emergency vehicles and soldiers rushing to the area. Witnesses reported seeing injured personnel being transported to hospitals on motorbikes by residents.
The incident marks one of the deadliest accidents in Colombia's Air Force history.
Recent similar incidents
Last month, a Bolivian Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying banknotes crashed in western Bolivia, resulting in at least 20 fatalities.
