BOGOTA: At least eight people were killed after a military aircraft belonging to the Colombian Air Force crashed shortly after takeoff in the country’s southern Amazon region, authorities confirmed on Monday. The aircraft, identified as a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, was carrying 125 people, including 114 passengers and 11 crew members.
Air force commander Fernando Silva said rescue operations were immediately launched, with dozens of survivors pulled from the wreckage. Military sources reported that at least 71 افراد were rescued, though earlier official estimates placed the number lower, indicating that rescue efforts were ongoing and figures may change.
The crash occurred moments after the aircraft took off from Puerto Leguizamo, a remote area near the Peruvian border, where the plane had been transporting troops. Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said the exact cause of the حادثہ remains under investigation, with authorities working to determine what led to the sudden سقوط of the aircraft.
Footage from the scene showed thick plumes of smoke rising above the dense jungle as emergency crews and local residents rushed to the crash site. Some videos captured the aircraft descending rapidly just seconds after takeoff before crashing approximately three kilometres from an urban centre.
President Gustavo Petro expressed concern over the incident and called for urgent reforms, criticising delays in modernising the country’s military fleet. He stressed that such tragedies must not be repeated and emphasised accountability among officials responsible for safety and oversight.
The C-130 Hercules aircraft, first introduced in the 1950s, is widely used by militaries worldwide for its versatility and ability to operate from short or unpaved runways. Colombia has operated variants of the aircraft since the late 1960s, with some units later upgraded through US military support programmes.
The حادثہ marks the second crash involving a C-130 aircraft in South America in less than a month, following a fatal incident in Bolivia earlier this year. Authorities have pledged a thorough investigation, while military leadership assured the public that the response would be conducted with full transparency.
The crash occurred in a region that has seen increased military activity in recent weeks, as security forces intensify operations against drug trafficking networks and armed groups. Rescue and recovery operations remain ongoing as officials continue to assess the full scale of the disaster.
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