Colombia military plane crashes killing dozens

At ​least 33 ​people were killed ​when a Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 military plane crashed while transporting troops in southern Colombia on Monday, the Defense Ministry said.

Local government secretary Carlos Claros told RCN television that another 81 people were injured.

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said the plane was transporting troops from Puerto Leguizamo to Putumayo, reports DW.

Investigators were probing the cause of the crash.

The military aircraft crashed as it was taking off from Puerto Leguizamo, in Colombia's southern Amazon region on the border with Peru, according toSanchez, who called it a "tragic accident."

Photos shared online showed a black cloud of smoke rising from where the plane had crashed. Soldiers were seen rushing to the site.


Local outlet BluRadio said the crash occurred just 3 kilometers (2 miles) from an urban center, citing authorities.

"The exact number of victims ​and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined," Sanchez initially said.

Sanchez said the cause of the crash was being investigated.

President Petro criticized "bureaucratic difficulties" for delaying his plans to modernize the military in a post on X.

"I will grant no further delays; it is the lives of our young people ​that are at stake," he said. "If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed."

Since the late 1960s, Colombia has been acquiring Hercules C-130 planes, which were launched in the 1950s. Recently, Colombia replaced some older models with newer ones sent from the US.

In Bolivia, a Hercules C-130 belonging to the country's Air Force crashed in the populous city of El Alto in February, killing over 20 people and injuring 30 more.