A Colombian military plane carrying many soldiers crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday
At least 66 people were killed after a Colombian military Hercules C-130 crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday in the southern state of Putumayo. Many others were injured, while rescue and relief operations continued into the night.
The plane crashed near Puerto Leguizamo, a remote Amazonian municipality near the borders of Peru and Ecuador, within a few kilometers of the airport after reporting trouble shortly after takeoff.
Colombian military forces and local officials gave different figures on the number of people on board as the emergency response continued, with reports putting the total number of passengers and crew at 121 and 128. The Colombian Air Force said the dead included six soldiers, 58 National Army soldiers and two National Police officers.
This is how the Hercules plane crashed @FuerzaAereaCol which transported around 120 soldiers. It had just left the airport of Puerto Leguízamo, Putumayo, and it seems clear that the plane could not gain the required altitude. The investigation will reveal… pic.twitter.com/fj4RY7a1rv
— 🇨🇴SARGENT OF THE COLOMBIAN NATIONAL ARMY🇨🇴 (@SARGENTOCHALA) March 23, 2026
Minister of Defense Pedro Sanchez described the event as a “fatal accident” while officials say there is no immediate indication that the accident was caused by an attack by armed groups. The exact cause is still under investigation.
The flight of Hercules @FuerzaAereaColwhich was transporting approximately 120 soldiers from Jungle Infantry Regiment No. 50 “General Luis Acevedo Torres”, crashed a few minutes after taking off from Puerto Leguizamo airport, Putumayo. At this time, it is unknown … pic.twitter.com/ikBKcJqJdo
— 🇨🇴SARGENT OF THE COLOMBIAN NATIONAL ARMY🇨🇴 (@SARGENTOCHALA) March 23, 2026
Pictures released by the Colombian military and images circulating online showed emergency workers working around the wreckage as injured passengers were loaded onto another plane for evacuation. Pictures from the scene showed ambulances transporting survivors and crew gathered near the downed military aircraft.
The aircraft was identified as a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, which was delivered by the United States in 2020 and modified in 2023. President Gustavo Petro said the disaster underscores the need to modernize Colombia’s military fleet.
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