66 dead after Colombian military C-130 crashes in Amazon region minutes after takeoff

At least 66 people have been killed and dozens injured after a Colombian Air Force C-130 Hercules transport aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff near the Amazonian town of Puerto Leguizamo in southern Colombia, authorities said. The accident is now considered the deadliest crash in the history of the country’s air force .

The aircraft went down on Monday while departing Caucayá Airport in Puerto Leguizamo , in the remote Putumayo region near the borders with Ecuador and Peru. Officials said the plane crashed about two kilometres from the runway during the initial climb , before bursting into flames in a forested area.

Authorities said around 125 people were on board , including 114 soldiers, two national police officers and 11 crew members . Many were travelling on a troop transport mission to Tres de Mayo Airport in Puerto Asís , another town in the same region.

Rescue teams confirmed that at least 66 people died , while dozens survived the crash with injuries. About 57 survivors were hospitalised , some with serious burns and trauma, and several were flown to larger hospitals in Bogota for specialised treatment.

Officials said four people remain missing , and search teams continued combing the crash site amid dense vegetation as recovery efforts proceeded.

Residents of the remote area were among the first to reach the wreckage. Videos shared on social media showed villagers transporting wounded soldiers on motorcycles along dirt roads while others tried to extinguish flames from the wreckage. Authorities said the difficult terrain initially slowed rescue operations.

Preliminary information suggests the aircraft may have struck an object near the runway during takeoff , and witnesses reported that a wing may have clipped a tree before the plane crashed and caught fire. Investigators are examining whether a technical failure during the climb-out phase caused the accident.

Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez said there were no indications that the aircraft was attacked by armed groups operating in the region and urged caution until investigators determine the cause of the disaster. President Gustavo Petro described the accident as a “deeply painful tragedy for the country” and renewed calls to modernise Colombia’s ageing military fleet , saying bureaucratic delays had slowed efforts to upgrade equipment. The aircraft involved, a Lockheed C-130H Hercules , had previously been operated by the United States Air Force before being transferred to Colombia in 2020 and later undergoing maintenance and overhaul work. Investigators are now analysing flight data and wreckage to determine what caused the fatal crash.