Colombian military transport plane crashes, killing 34 in Putumayo

At least 34 people were killed after a Colombian Air Force transport plane came down shortly after take-off in the southern department of Putumayo, in one of the country’s worst recent military air disasters.

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules was carrying 125 people, including 11 crew members, when it crashed near Puerto Leguizamo on Monday morning. Most of those on board were soldiers being transported on a military mission.

Local officials said 70 people were injured and 21 remained unaccounted for, while emergency teams continued searching the crash site in a remote jungle area near the Peruvian border. Survivors were taken to medical centres in Puerto Leguizamo as additional support aircraft and medical supplies were sent to the area.

Colombia’s defence minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the aircraft fell roughly 1.5 kilometres from the point of departure. He added that a fire broke out after impact and that ammunition being carried on board also exploded. Authorities said there was no immediate sign that the crash had been caused by an attack from an illegal armed group.

Officials said the aircraft had been considered fit for service before departure and that the crew met operational requirements. Investigators have been dispatched to determine what caused the crash.

President Gustavo Petro said the tragedy reflected long-running bureaucratic problems in military administration that had slowed the replacement and renewal of equipment for Colombia’s armed forces.

The crash overwhelmed local emergency capacity, with residents among the first to help pull survivors from the wreckage before larger rescue operations were mobilised.