Colombia’s Air Force has confirmed that a transport aircraft crash near Puerto Leguízamo has killed at least 66 military personnel and crew.
The disclosure was reported by Reuters, citing military sources and official statements.
The aircraft, a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, was carrying over 120 occupants, including soldiers, air force crew, and police officers, when it crashed shortly after takeoff near Colombia’s southern border with Peru.
Colombia’s Defence Minister, Pedro Sánchez, described the incident as a tragic accident that occurred during a critical phase of flight. Air Force commander Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda also confirmed the number of personnel onboard and the scale of the casualties.
“A Colombian military plane crashed in a takeoff disaster on Monday, killing 66 people as rescuers shuttled dozens of survivors to nearby hospitals and searched for four who were still missing, according to a top official.
“The Lockheed Martin-built (LMT.N), Hercules C-130 transport plane was carrying 128 people, including 11 Air Force members, 115 army personnel and two national police officers, according to Hugo Alejandro Lopez, head of the nation’s armed forces.”
Authorities added that a fire broke out onboard the aircraft, triggering ammunition explosions that worsened the impact, while emergency responders continued rescue operations at the crash site.
