Military plane with dozens of soldiers crashes in Colombia

“With deep regret, I inform you that a Hercules plane from our Air Force suffered a tragic accident during takeoff from Puerto Leguízamo (Putumayo), while transporting Public Force troops”, declared the minister on social media when announcing the accident.

After learning of the accident, military units were deployed to the location to begin emergency protocols. The authorities reported that assistance procedures for the victims and their families were activated, in addition to the opening of an investigation to determine the possible causes of the fall. According to the newspaper The Timethere were 125 people on board the aircraft, including 112 National Army soldiers, two police officers and crew members from the Colombian Air Force.

Videos circulating on social media show a large column of smoke rising from the crash site and debris from the aircraft scattered around, as military personnel and local residents approach the area to assist in rescue efforts. See below:

Civil Defense, a national rescue organization, said volunteers from its Putumayo region, “in coordination with other relief agencies, are being mobilized and providing support in response to the emergency”, and released a video of the burning wreckage.

Before Putumayo Governor Jhon Gabriel Molina Acosta informed El Tiempo about the deaths, Colombian President Gustavo Petro lamented the incident, declaring on his social media account: “I hope there are no fatalities in this terrible accident that should never have happened.”

The Armed Forces’ C-130 Hercules aircraft are among the most used models in the world by air forces to transport troops and military equipment, and have capacity for approximately 100 passengers with their weapons and ammunition.