At least 66 people have been killed and dozens of others wounded after a Colombian military aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff in the south of the country.
The Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 was carrying 125 people, primarily soldiers being transported to another city within the Putumayo province. The accident occurred in Puerto Leguizamo, a remote municipality in the Amazonian province of Putumayo, which borders Peru and Ecuador, reports CNN.
The Minister of Defence, Pedro Sanchez, described the event as a “tragic accident”. He stated that the aircraft hit the ground just 1.5km (0.9 miles) from its departure point. Sanchez added that a fire on board caused ammunition being carried on the plane to detonate, but noted there was no indication that the crash was the result of an “attack by illegal actors”.
Jhon Gabriel Molina, the governor of the Putumayo department, confirmed the death toll and stated that 21 of the victims are yet to be identified.
In response to the disaster, the commander of the Colombian Air Force, Carlos Fernando Silva, confirmed that two aircraft equipped with 74 beds have been dispatched to the area. These planes will be used to transport the injured to hospitals in the capital, Bogota, and other locations.
The Colombian military has operated Hercules C-130 aircraft since the late 1960s and has recently modernised some older models using newer versions provided by the United States.
