Military plane crash in southwestern Colombia kills at least 66 people and injures dozens

A Colombian military transport plane with mostly soldiers on board crashed Monday in Puerto Leguizamo, killing at least 66 people and leaving dozens injured, authorities said. Those killed included six from Colombia's air force, 58 from the National Army and two from the National Police, the country's air force said. 

The crash happened shortly after the plane took off, according to Colombia's defense minister. The Hercules C-130 was carrying 128 people, including crew members, according to the latest numbers released by the Colombian air force. One soldier was unharmed and 57 military personnel were rescued and evacuated from the crash site. The air force said four soldiers had not yet been located.

There's no information or indication at this time that it was an attack by an illegal armed group, the Colombian air force said. 

In a video posted to social media, Puerto Leguizamo Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros said the bodies of the victims were taken to the small town's morgue and that the only two clinics in town treated the injured before they were flown to larger cities. Puerto Leguizamo is located in Putumayo, an Amazonian province that borders Ecuador and Peru.

Images shared online by local media outlets showed a black cloud of smoke rising from a field where the plane crashed, and a truck with soldiers rushing to the site. 

In a message Monday on X, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said the crash was a "tragic accident" and there were no signs indicating that the Hercules C-130 plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.

Sánchez wrote that the accident was "profoundly painful for the country," adding, "We hope that our prayers can help to relieve some of the pain." He said rescue teams had been sent to the site of the crash and that the cause of the crash still hasn't been determined. 

Colombian President Gustavo Petro shared a video on X of soldiers and witnesses working to put out a fire sparked by the crash. 

Petro also seized on the accident to promote what he called his long-time campaign to modernize planes and other equipment used by his country's military, saying those efforts have been blocked by "bureaucratic difficulties" and suggesting that some officials should be held accountable.

"If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they must be removed," Petro said.