At least 66 people were killed after a military transport plane crashed moments after taking off on Monday in Colombia. The military aircraft, which was carrying 128 people — most of them soldiers — went down in Puerto Leguízamo, located near the western edge of the Amazon, leaving dozens injured, according to Colombia's armed forces chief.
General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto said that four members of the military were still missing. "Sadly, as a consequence of this tragic accident, 66 of our military elements died," he said following the tragic crash. "At the moment, we have no information, or indications, that it was an attack by an illegal armed group," Barreto added.
Tragic End
In a video shared on social media, Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros said the victims' bodies were taken to the town's morgue, while the injured were first treated at the area's only two clinics before being airlifted to larger cities for further care.
Puerto Leguízamo lies in the Putumayo region, a remote Amazonian province near Colombia's borders with Ecuador and Peru.
"I want to thank the people of Puerto Leguizamo who came out to help the victims of this accident," Claros told Colombian television station RCN.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said on X that the aircraft was carrying troops to another location within Putumayo at the time of the crash.
Photos circulating online from Colombian media showed a thick plume of black smoke rising from a field where the plane went down, while a truck filled with soldiers rushed toward the scene.
The aircraft had 128 people on board — including 115 Army personnel, 11 crew members, and two National Police officers. Barreto said 57 people were evacuated.
Videos shared by local outlets captured the urgency on the ground, with injured soldiers being transported away on motorcycles by residents, while others tried to put out the flames spreading through a field surrounded by dense vegetation.
Cause of Crash Unclear
Carlos Fernando Silva, commander of Colombia's air force, said the exact cause of the crash remains unclear, adding, "except that the plane had a problem and went down about two kilometers from the airport."
The air force commander added that two aircraft, equipped with 74 beds, were dispatched to the area to transport the injured to hospitals in the capital, Bogotá, and other cities.
President Gustavo Petro used the incident to highlight his long-standing push to modernize the military's aircraft and equipment. He said those efforts have been slowed by "bureaucratic difficulties" and suggested that some officials should be held responsible.
"If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they must be removed," Petro said.
Critics of the president argued that budget cuts under Petro's administration have reduced flight hours for military aircraft, which in turn may leave crews with less experience.
Erich Saumeth, a Colombian aviation expert and military analyst, noted that the Hercules C-130 involved in Monday's crash had been donated to Colombia by the United States in 2020.
He added that three years later, the aircraft underwent a major overhaul, during which its engines were thoroughly inspected and important components were replaced.
