At least 66 people have died after a military aircraft crashed in Colombia, according to the country’s armed forces chief.
Initial reports say there were 125 people on board, most of them soldiers. Air Force commander Fernando Silva stated in a video shared on social media that the Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 was carrying 114 passengers along with 11 crew members.
The cause of the crash is still under investigation. Defence Minister Pedro Anulfo Sánchez described the incident as “a tragic accident” and expressed condolences to the victims’ families. He also urged the public to avoid speculation until official findings are released, calling it “a profoundly painful event for the country.”
Con profundo dolor informo que un avión Hércules de nuestra @FuerzaAereaCol sufrió un trágico accidente mientras despegaba de Puerto Leguízamo (Putumayo), cuando transportaba tropas de nuestra Fuerza Pública.
Unidades militares ya se encuentran en el lugar de los hechos; sin…— Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez S. Orgullosamente Colombiano (@PedroSanchezCol) March 23, 2026
President Gustavo Petro also responded, criticizing delays in efforts to modernize the military. In a post on X, he said he would not allow further delays, emphasizing that the lives of young personnel are at risk. He added that any officials unable to meet this challenge should be replaced.
Colombia has been operating C-130 aircraft since the 1960s. The plane involved in the crash had taken off from an airport in the southern Amazon region near the border with Peru.
According to local media reports, it went down about two miles from a major urban area.
