At least 66 people were killed when a Colombian Air Force plane carrying 125 people crashed shortly after takeoff in the country’s southern Amazon region on Monday, a report by news agency Reuters said, citing two sources from the military.
The aircraft, a Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130, went down near Puerto Leguzamo, close to Colombia’s border with Peru, while transporting troops, according to the Ministry of Defence.
CRASH MOMENTS AFTER TAKEOFF
The military plane crashed just minutes after taking off, with emergency teams rushing to the remote crash site in the Amazon region. Earlier, officials had said the aircraft was carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew members, though the full extent of casualties is still being verified.
The plane was believed to have suffered an impact near the end of the runway while taking off, Reuters said, citing Caracol Televisión, a local broadcasting channel. The impact was so severe that one of the wings plummeted and clipped a tree. The crash caused the carrier to catch fire and detonate some sort of explosive devices on board.
Videos shared by local media showed thick black smoke rising from the crash site.
CONCERNS OVER AGEING AIRCRAFT
The Hercules C-130, first introduced in the 1950s, has been widely used by military forces around the world, including Colombia’s air force since the late 1960s.
While some aircraft have been modernised, concerns have persisted over ageing fleets and maintenance challenges. The incident comes weeks after a similar crash in neighbouring Bolivia, where a C-130 aircraft went down in El Alto, killing more than 20 people and injuring dozens.
Amid rising concerns, President Gustavo Petro criticised the bureaucratic obstacles for delaying his plans to modernise the military.
“I will grant no further delays; it is the lives of our young people that are at stake,” he said in a post on X. “If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed,” he further added.
Petro also alleged that scrap metal was used in the plane. He added that the authorities would find out the contractor who was involved in the construction of the plane.
With inputs from agencies
