Scores feared dead, dozens injured in Colombian Air Force crash in Putumayo
Scores are feared dead and dozens of others injured after a Colombian military transport plane carrying 125 people crashed in the south of the country, leaving multiple casualties and scores injured, authorities have confirmed.
The aircraft, a US-made C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force, went down near the town of Puerto Leguízamo in Putumayo province, close to the border with Peru.
Air Force commander Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda said 114 army personnel and 11 crew members were on board at the time of the incident.
He confirmed that 48 people had been pulled from the wreckage with injuries and were receiving treatment in hospital.
Regional governor Jhon Gabriel Molina later said at least eight people had been confirmed dead, with more than 80 others injured in Monday’s crash.
Emergency response teams were quickly dispatched to the scene, where rescuers were seen combing through the debris in search of survivors.
Images circulating in local media showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site, while military trucks ferried personnel to assist in rescue efforts. Footage also appeared to show local residents helping transport injured soldiers to nearby hospitals on motorbikes.
Colombia’s Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez said the aircraft suffered “a tragic accident while it was taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, transporting troops of our security forces.” He described the incident as “deeply sad for the country.”
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
President Gustavo Petro expressed his condolences, calling the incident “horrendous” and saying it “should not have happened.”
In a statement posted on X, he also pointed to bureaucratic delays that he said had hindered efforts to modernise the military’s equipment and aircraft fleet.
“I will allow no further delays; the lives of our young people are at stake,” Petro said, without providing further details on the possible cause of the crash.
The tragedy comes just weeks after another C-130 Hercules crash in Bolivia, where a military plane transporting banknotes went down in the west of the country, killing at least 20 people.
