Colombian military plane crashes: 110 soldiers were onboard Hercules C-130. 71 rescued

Colombia’s Defence Ministry has confirmed that a Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 military plane was involved in an accident on Monday in the south of the country. According to local media outlet BluRadio, 110 soldiers were on board at the time of the crash. Two sources told Reuters that 71 people have been rescued alive.

Plane Crash Occurred Near Puerto Leguizamo

Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said the accident occurred as the plane was taking off from Puerto Leguizamo, deep in Colombia’s southern Amazon region near the border with Peru. The cause of the crash and the exact number of casualties have yet to be determined.

BluRadio noted that the crash happened just 3 km (2 miles) from an urban area.

President Gustavo Petro Reacts

President Gustavo Petro expressed hope that there were no fatalities, describing the accident as “horrific” and criticising bureaucratic delays that he said had hindered plans to modernise the military.

“I will grant no further delays; it is the lives of our young people that are at stake,” Petro wrote on X. He added that any civilian or military officials unable to meet this challenge “must be removed.”

History and Modernisation of Colombian C-130s

Hercules C-130 aircraft were first launched in the 1950s. Colombia acquired its first models in the late 1960s and has more recently modernised some older aircraft with newer models sent from the United States under a law permitting the transfer of used or surplus military equipment.

Details of the plane involved in Monday’s accident are not yet available. Lockheed Martin did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Recent C-130 Crash in Bolivia

This incident comes shortly after a similar Hercules C-130 crash in Bolivia at the end of February. The Bolivian Air Force plane crashed in the city of El Alto, killing more than 20 people and injuring another 30. Cargo banknotes from the plane scattered across the city, sparking clashes between residents and security forces.

Inputs from agencies