Dozens feared dead after Colombian military plane crashes in Amazon region

BOGOTA: A Colombian military transport plane carrying scores of soldiers crashed shortly after takeoff in the country’s southern Amazon region on Monday, with dozens feared dead in one of the deadliest aviation incidents in recent years, officials and local media said.

The aircraft, a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, went down near the remote town of Puerto Leguízamo in Putumayo province, close to Colombia’s borders with Peru and Ecuador.

The crash occurred just minutes after takeoff, with images from the scene showing a large plume of black smoke rising from the wreckage.

Authorities said the exact number of casualties remained unclear, but reports indicated that between 80 and 110 soldiers were on board at the time of the crash. Some estimates suggested that as many as 80 troops may have been killed.

Colombia’s Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez described the incident as a “tragic accident” and said rescue teams had been deployed to the crash site, though access to the remote jungle area was complicating response efforts. The cause of the crash has not yet been determined, and an investigation is underway.

Local media reported that the aircraft erupted in flames after impact, raising fears of a high death toll among those on board.

President Gustavo Petro expressed concern over the incident, calling it “horrific” and highlighting longstanding concerns over ageing military equipment, which analysts say remains a challenge for Colombia’s armed forces.

The crash comes amid heightened operational activity by Colombia’s military in remote regions, where troops are frequently deployed for security operations. Aviation experts noted that the C-130 Hercules, widely used for military transport, has been in service globally for decades, though ageing fleets can face maintenance challenges.

Monday’s disaster also follows a series of recent aviation accidents in the region, underscoring broader safety concerns. Earlier this year, a separate aircraft crash in Colombia killed 15 people, while a military cargo plane accident in neighboring Bolivia left more than 20 dead on the ground.

Analysts said the scale of Monday’s crash could make it one of Colombia’s deadliest military aviation incidents in years, depending on the confirmed number of casualties.

Rescue operations were ongoing, with authorities racing to locate survivors and recover bodies, while the country braced for further details on the extent of the tragedy.