A Lockheed Martin-built Hercules C-130 military transport plane crashed on Monday in Puerto Leguizamo, near the border with Peru, killing 66 people and leaving four still missing. The aircraft was carrying 128 personnel, including 115 army members, 11 Air Force staff, and two national police officers, according to Hugo Alejandro Lopez, head of Colombia's armed forces.
The crash occurred during takeoff, with the plane reportedly hitting near the end of the runway and clipping a tree as it fell. The aircraft caught fire, and onboard explosive devices detonated. Residents of the remote area were first to rescue survivors, transporting wounded personnel on motorcycles before military assistance could reach the difficult crash site. Fifty-seven survivors have been hospitalized, with 30 in non-serious condition.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro criticized bureaucratic delays in modernizing the military, warning that further postponements put lives at risk. Lockheed Martin confirmed it is assisting in the investigation.
Hercules C-130 aircraft, first launched in the 1950s, are widely used by Colombia for troop transport amid the country's decades-long internal conflict, which has claimed over 450,000 lives. The crashed plane matches the tail number of one of three C-130s recently transferred from the United States.
This follows a similar incident in February when a Bolivian C-130 crashed in El Alto, killing more than 20 people and injuring dozens.