Atleast 66 fatalities in Hercules C-130 crash (VIDEOS)

(SeaPRwire) –   A Colombian military transport plane carrying mostly soldiers crashed shortly after taking off on Monday

A Colombian military Hercules C-130 transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday in the southern province of Putumayo, killing at least 66 people. Many more were injured as rescue and evacuation efforts persisted through the night.

The plane crashed near Puerto Leguizamo, a remote Amazonian municipality close to the borders with Peru and Ecuador, just a few kilometers from the airport after reporting problems soon after departure.

As the emergency response continued, the Colombian armed forces and local officials provided varying counts of the people on board, with reports estimating the total number of passengers and crew was between 121 and 128. According to Colombia’s air force, the deceased included six airmen, 58 soldiers from the National Army, and two National Police officers.

Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez called the incident a “tragic accident,” and officials stated there was no immediate sign that the crash resulted from an attack by armed groups. The specific cause is still being investigated.

Pictures released by Colombia’s armed forces and video shared online depicted emergency teams working at the crash site, loading injured passengers onto other planes for evacuation. Photos from the scene showed ambulances carrying survivors and responders assembled around the wrecked military cargo aircraft.

The plane was confirmed to be a Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules, donated by the United States in 2020 and refurbished in 2023. President Gustavo Petro stated that the catastrophe highlighted the necessity of modernizing Colombia’s military aircraft fleet.