Colombian military plane carrying more than 100 troops crashes on takeoff
March 23, 2026 11:54 pm
A Colombian military transport plane that crashed on takeoff in the south of the country was carrying more than 100 personnel, according to Vice President Francia Márquez Mina.
The accident involved a C-130 Hercules aircraft and occurred in Puerto Leguízamo, a town in Putumayo department, bordering Peru. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said.
The plane was carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew members, according to General Carlos Silva, commander of the Colombian Aerospace Force.
At least 48 people were rescued, he added.
A video geolocated by CNN shows the military plane taking off from Caucaya Airport and flying over a rural area moments before it went down. The footage indicates the crash happened less than two miles from the airport.
Images from the scene of the crash showed thick black smoke and flames rising from the wreckage.
Nicolas Ordoñez, an indigenous ranger involved in the search and rescue operations in Leguízamo, told CNN that several survivors had been taken to a local hospital.
Sánchez has sent condolences to the families of those affected.
President Gustavo Petro said the crash “should never have happened.” He lamented the lack of modernization of the armed forces, which he attributed to “bureaucratic difficulties.”
Source: CNN
--Agencies
