Colombian Military Transport Crashes After Takeoff, 48 Survivors Rescued

A Colombian Air Force C-130 Hercules carrying 125 military personnel crashed shortly after departure from a remote Amazonian airfield Monday. Rescue teams have pulled at least 48 survivors from the wreckage as operations continue at the crash site.

BOGOTA, Colombia — A Colombian Air Force transport aircraft carrying 125 military personnel went down Monday shortly after departure from a remote airfield in the country’s Amazon region, with rescue teams successfully extracting at least 48 survivors from the wreckage.

The incident occurred in Puerto Leguizamo, an isolated town in Putumayo province near the borders with Peru and Ecuador, according to Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez, who described the event as a “tragic accident” involving troops aboard the aircraft.

Video footage circulated by Colombian news organizations captured thick black smoke billowing from the crash site in an open field, with military vehicles racing toward the scene to assist in rescue operations.

Air Force Commander Carlos Fernando Silva provided details in a recorded statement, confirming the Hercules C-130 was transporting 114 passengers along with 11 crew members when it went down. Silva reported that rescue operations were ongoing as teams worked to extract additional survivors from the wreckage.

Local residents assisted in the emergency response, with footage showing injured soldiers being transported from the crash location on motorcycles operated by community members.

“At this moment we do not know details” of the crash Silva said. “Except that the plane had a problem and went down about two kilometers from the airport.” The military official added that two aircraft equipped with 74 medical beds had been dispatched to transport injured personnel to medical facilities in Bogota and other cities.

President Gustavo Petro expressed hopes on social media that there would be “no deadly casualties in this accident that should have not occurred.”

The president used the incident to highlight his ongoing efforts to upgrade military equipment, claiming these modernization initiatives have faced “bureaucratic difficulties” and suggesting accountability measures may be necessary. “If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they must be removed,” Petro stated.

Minister Sánchez characterized the crash as “profoundly painful for the country,” writing that: “We hope that our prayers can help to relieve some of the pain.”