A Colombian military aircraft, with 110 persons on board, crashed shortly after take-off on Monday, media reports said. The aircraft, a Lockheed Hercules C-130, had taken off to transport armed forces personnel.
The plane crashed close to the town of Puerto Leguízamo in Putumayo province, reports said, citing defence officials.
BREAKING: Colombian Air Force plane carrying approximately 110 people has crashed near Puerto Leguízamo, according to the defense minister. pic.twitter.com/tIKHbOIKp4
— Conflict Alarm (@ConflictAlarm) March 23, 2026
The military transport vehicle powered by four engines took off from a local airfield in Putumayo which is located close to the border of Ecuador.
Colombia's Defence Minister Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez established that the accident took place in his statement but said that the total number of fatalities was not yet officially confirmed and that the aircraft was carrying a notable amount of military personell. Footage from the crash scene showed a smouldering wreckage with an extensively damaged fuselage.
"Military units are already at the scene; however, the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined," Sanchez said.
Due to the Putemayo region's geography consisting of dense jungles, and distant military posts, making the transport of supplies and troops via military aircraft a necessity.
U.S. defense firm Lockheed Martin who designed and built the model, has not made a public comment regarding its crash as of yet.
A similar incident took place with another Hercules C-130, from the Bolivian Air Force which crashed into the city of Alto, killing 20 people and injuring 30 in February.
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