A military transport plane carrying 128 people, mostly soldiers, crashed shortly after takeoff Monday in Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, killing at least 66 and leaving dozens injured, Colombian military officials confirmed. Four military personnel remained missing following the accident.
General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto said there were no indications that the crash was caused by an attack from armed groups. The plane, which included 115 army personnel, 11 crew members, and two National Police officers, was en route to another city in Putumayo province. Local residents rushed to assist, transporting injured soldiers on motorcycles and helping extinguish fires caused by the crash. Victims were taken to the town morgue and the two local clinics, with injured personnel later flown to hospitals in Bogotá and other cities. Colombian authorities dispatched additional planes with medical beds to aid in the evacuations.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez described the crash as “profoundly painful for the country” and emphasized there were no signs of hostile action. President Gustavo Petro used the incident to push for the modernization of military aircraft, citing bureaucratic hurdles and suggesting accountability for officials responsible for equipment oversight. Aviation experts noted the Hercules C-130 involved had been donated by the United States in 2020 and overhauled in 2023, including engine inspections and replacement of key components, though the cause of the engine failure shortly after takeoff remains under investigation.
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