At least 66 people were killed in a military plane crash in Colombia, the head of the military said
A plane carrying 128 people, most of them soldiers, crashed on Monday after taking off from Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, killing at least 66 people and injuring dozens, Colombia’s military chief said.
General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto said the four soldiers were still missing.
He said: “Sadly, because of this terrible accident, 66 members of our army died.
“At the moment, we have no information, or indications that it was an attack by an illegal armed group,” added Barreto.
In a video posted on social media, Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros said that the bodies of the dead were taken to morgues in the town, while only two clinics in the town treated the injured before they were rushed to the big cities. Puerto Leguizamo is located in Putumayo, an Amazonian province on the border of Ecuador and Peru.
“I want to thank the people of Puerto Leguizamo who came out to help the victims of this accident,” Claros told Colombian television station RCN.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said on X that the plane that crashed on Monday was transporting soldiers to another town in Putumayo.
Images shared online by Colombian media showed a dark cloud of smoke rising from the crash site and a truck carrying soldiers rushing to the site.
The plane had 128 people on board, including 115 soldiers, 11 crew members and 2 national police officers. Baretto said 57 people were evacuated.
Media outlets shared videos of soldiers being rushed to the site on motorbikes driven by local residents, while another group of residents tried to put out a fire caused by a plane crash in an area surrounded by thick foliage.
Carlos Fernando Silva, commander of the Colombian Air Force, said the details of the accident were not yet known, “except that the plane had a problem and went down about two kilometers from the airport.”
The air force commander added that two planes, with 74 beds, were sent to the area to fly the wounded back to hospitals in the capital, Bogota, and elsewhere.
Petro seized on the accident to promote what he called his long-term campaign to improve aircraft and other equipment used by his country’s military, saying those efforts had been hampered by “existing difficulties” and suggested that other officials should be held accountable.
“If government or military officials cannot face the challenge, they must be removed,” said Petro.
Critics of the president have pointed out that military aircraft have been given fewer flying hours under Petro’s administration due to budget cuts, resulting in less experienced personnel.
Erich Saumeth, a Colombian aviation expert and military analyst, said that the Hercules C-130 that crashed on Monday was donated by the United States to Colombia in 2020. After three years, it underwent a detailed overhaul known as a conversion, where its engines were inspected and key components replaced.
“I don’t think this plane crashed because of a lack of good parts,” said Saumeth. He said the investigation will have to find out why the Hercules engines, which have four propellers, failed immediately after take off.
In a message on X on Monday, Defense Minister Sánchez said that so far there are no signs that the plane was attacked by rebel groups operating near Puerto Leguizamo.
Sánchez wrote that the accident was “very painful for the country,” adding: “We hope that our prayers can help ease some of the pain.”
