A Colombian Air Force transport aircraft carrying 125 people crashed during takeoff in the country’s southern Amazon region on Monday, resulting in at least 34 fatalities. The Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 was departing from Puerto Leguizamo, located near the Peruvian border, when the disaster occurred. Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed the incident, which stands as one of the deadliest aviation accidents in the history of the Colombian Air Force, with rescue teams still searching for survivors amidst the wreckage.
Putumayo department governor Jhon Gabriel Molina informed local news outlet Noticias Caracol that, in addition to the 34 confirmed deaths, 70 individuals sustained injuries and 21 others remain missing. He cautioned that these figures are subject to change as recovery operations continue in the remote area. Firefighters reported that the aircraft appeared to suffer an impact near the end of the runway during its ascent, subsequently clipping a tree with its wing before plummeting and catching fire.
The crash was followed by several secondary detonations, believed to be caused by explosive devices on board the military transport. Due to the remote nature of the site, local residents were the first to provide aid, with viral videos showing civilians using motorcycles to transport wounded soldiers along dirt roads to seek medical help. While military vehicles arrived later, authorities admitted that the challenging terrain has significantly impeded the speed and efficiency of the professional rescue efforts.
There remains some discrepancy regarding the total number of personnel involved, as the Air Force initially reported 121 people on board, including 110 soldiers and 11 crew members. President Gustavo Petro addressed the tragedy on Monday evening, expressing sharp criticism over bureaucratic delays that have hampered his administration’s plans to modernize the nation’s military fleet. He asserted that the lives of young service members are at stake and called for the removal of any officials unable to meet the challenge of upgrading equipment.
The aircraft involved in the Monday crash has been identified as a model acquired through a U.S. provision that transfers surplus military equipment, with its tail number matching the first of three planes delivered to Colombia in recent years. While the Hercules C-130 has been a staple for troop transport since the 1960s, this incident follows another fatal C-130 crash in Bolivia last February. Lockheed Martin has since pledged its full cooperation with Colombian authorities to investigate the technical failures that led to this catastrophic event.
