Colombian military plane crash: 66 dead, several wounded

KATHMANDU: A Colombian Air Force transport plane crashed shortly after taking off on a flight south, killing at least 66 people and leaving several others injured. The aircraft, a US-made C-130 Hercules, was carrying 114 military personnel and 11 crew members, according to Air Force Commander Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda.

The crash occurred near Puerto Leguízamo in the Putumayo department. Emergency teams have been searching the wreckage for survivors, with local media reporting that some injured soldiers were rushed to hospitals on small motorcycles.

Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez described the incident as “a tragic day for the nation,” noting that an on-board fire caused explosives stored in the plane to detonate.

President Gustavo Petro expressed sorrow over the accident on X, saying it “should not have happened” and blamed bureaucratic delays for slowing the modernization of military equipment and aircraft.