BOGOTA, Colombia — A military cargo aircraft met with disaster shortly after departing on Monday in southwestern Colombia, leading to an unspecified number of casualties, as revealed by the nation’s defense minister.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez announced on X that the “tragic incident” took place in Puerto Leguizamo, a secluded area in the Amazon region of Putumayo, which shares its borders with Peru and Ecuador. Photographs circulating on local media platforms depict a thick plume of dark smoke emanating from a field where the aircraft went down, while a vehicle carrying soldiers hurried to the scene.

Sánchez did not disclose the number of military personnel aboard the Hercules C-130, an aircraft capable of accommodating up to 120 passengers. He mentioned that rescue squads were dispatched to the crash location, but the reason behind the accident remains unclear.

“I hope there will be no fatalities in this incident that should never have happened,” Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed on X.

Petro used the incident as a platform to advocate for his ongoing initiative to upgrade military aircraft and equipment, citing that these efforts have faced “bureaucratic hurdles” and implying that certain officials might need to answer for this. “If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they must be removed,” Petro stated.

Sánchez described the event as “deeply painful for the nation,” and added, “We hope that our prayers can help to alleviate some of the suffering.”