As a result of the crash of the Hercules C-130 military transport plane, which took off from a base in Puerto Leguizamo, at least 34 people have died. There were 114 passengers and 11 crew members on board, as reported by the press attaché of the Colombian army.
President Gustavo Petro noted in his message on X that 77 injured individuals were taken to the hospital, however, 43 people are still listed as missing.
Rescue operations are ongoing: rescuers are sifting through the wreckage of the plane and searching the surrounding area of the incident.
Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed that there were military personnel on board. According to him, the plane crashed one and a half kilometers from the airfield, and as a result of the fire that broke out in the cabin, there was a detonation of munitions. He also added that there is no evidence that the plane was shot down by rebel groups.
Local media have released footage from the scene showing smoke rising above the wreckage, as well as local residents transporting injured soldiers to the hospital on motorcycles.
Gustavo Petro stated that the cause of the disaster was "bureaucratic problems" that hindered the timely modernization of military equipment, including aircraft. "I will not allow any more delays; the lives of our young men are at stake," the president emphasized.
In February, a similar C-130 Hercules aircraft manufactured in the United States crashed in Bolivia while transporting cash banknotes.
According to the governor of the Putumayo region, the number of fatalities is at least 34, however, according to information from military sources to the AFP agency, the total number of victims may reach 66, including 58 soldiers, 6 air force personnel, and 2 police officers.
