At least 34 killed, dozens hurt in Colombian military plane crash

2026-03-24 - 02:10

Colombia’s defence minister said the ammunition that was being carried on board detonated as a result of a fire on the aircraft. (AFP pic) BOGOTA: At least 34 people were killed when a Colombian Air Force plane carrying 125 people crashed just after takeoff deep in the country’s southern Amazon region yesterday, authorities said. The incident was one of the deadliest accidents in recent history for Colombia’s Air Force, with nearly two dozen people still missing amid the crash debris, which was charred and still burning even as rescuers attempted to find survivors, showed videos from local media. “Unfortunately, the information is of 34 deaths,” Luis Emilio Bustos, the mayor of the nearby town of Puerto Leguizamo, told Reuters. Jhon Gabriel Molina, governor of the Putumayo department, said in an interview with local news outlet Caracol Noticias that 34 were killed, 70 people were injured and 21 people were missing. “These are figures that could change,” he added. “The accident occurred as the Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 transport plane was taking off from Puerto Leguizamo on the border with Peru,” defence minister Pedro Sanchez said earlier on X. The plane hit the ground just one and a half kilometers away from where it took off, and ammunition being carried on board detonated as a result of a fire on the aircraft, he later said. There was no indication of an “attack by illegal actors,” and the plane was airworthy with a qualified crew ahead of departure, Sanchez added. Footage from the scene published by local outlet BluRadio showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the debris, surrounded by thick grass and jungle. One video showed the plane heading towards the ground just seconds after takeoff. Colombia’s Air Force had earlier reported a total of 121 people on board, comprised of 110 soldiers and 11 crew members. It was not immediately clear what accounted for the discrepancy with the figures reported by the local authorities.