Dozens of Colombian soldiers feared dead as military plane crashes shortly after takeoff
A military plane carrying 121 people, mostly soldiers, crashed shortly after takeoff in southwestern Colombia on Monday; At least one person died, at least 77 people were injured, and it is feared that many more died.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said the ‘tragic accident’ in X occurred in Puerto Leguizamo, a remote municipality in the Amazonian state of Putumayo, which borders the neighboring South American countries of Peru and Ecuador.
In the images shared online by Colombian media outlets, a cloud of black smoke rises from the area where the plane crashed and a truck with soldiers is seen running towards the area.
In the statement made by the Air Force, it was stated that rescue efforts continued and at least 77 injured people were rescued from the accident area.
According to the military command statement published online by Colombian President Gustavo Petro, at least one person was confirmed dead.
The air force said there were 121 people on board the Hercules C-130 plane, including 110 soldiers and 11 crew members.
He added that the plane was carrying soldiers to another city in Putumayo province.
Authorities had previously stated that there were 125 people on the ship.
A military plane carrying 121 people, mostly soldiers, crashed shortly after takeoff in southwestern Colombia on Monday; At least one person died, at least 77 people were injured, it is feared that many more people died.
In the statement made by the Air Force, it was stated that rescue efforts continued and at least 77 injured people were rescued from the accident area.
Media organizations shared videos of soldiers being driven away from the area on motorcycles driven by local residents.
Colombian air force commander Carlos Fernando Silva said details of the crash were not yet known ‘except that the plane had a problem and crashed about two kilometers from the airport’.
The air force commander added that two planes with 74 beds were sent to the region to take the injured to hospitals in the capital Bogota and other places.
Petro used the crash to promote his long-running campaign to modernize planes and other equipment used by his country’s military.
He said those efforts were hampered by ‘bureaucratic difficulties’ and suggested some officials should be held accountable.
“If civil or military administrative officials are not ready for this fight, they should be dismissed,” Petro said.
Sánchez wrote that the crash was ‘extremely painful for the country’ and added: ‘We hope that our prayers can help alleviate some of the pain.’
Colombian aviation expert and military analyst Erich Saumeth said that the Hercules C-130, which crashed on Monday, was donated to Colombia by the United States in 2020.
An ambulance carries plane crash victims to the Central Military Hospital in Bogota
In this photo distributed by the Colombian Armed Forces press office, it can be seen that those injured in the military cargo plane that crashed shortly after takeoff were taken to another military plane for treatment.
Three years later, it underwent a detailed overhaul, known as an overhaul, in which its engine was examined and major components were replaced.
“I don’t think this plane crashed because of a lack of good parts,” Saumeth said. He said investigations needed to determine why the four-propeller Hercules’ engines failed so quickly after takeoff.
Defense Minister Sánchez said in a message on Monday
Sánchez wrote that the crash was ‘extremely painful for the country’ and added: ‘We hope that our prayers can help alleviate some of the pain.’
