A tragic incident occurred in Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, when a military transport plane carrying 128 individuals, predominantly soldiers, crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday. The crash resulted in the deaths of at least 66 people, while numerous others suffered injuries, according to the head of Colombia’s armed forces.
General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto reported that four military personnel remain unaccounted for following the accident.
“Regrettably, this tragic event claimed the lives of 66 of our military members,” General Barreto stated.
He further clarified, “Currently, we have no evidence or indications suggesting that this was an attack by any illegal armed group.”
The crash occurred near Puerto Leguizamo on March 23, 2026, leaving a significant number of casualties and injuries in its wake.
Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros shared a video on social media, explaining that the victims’ bodies were transferred to the town’s small morgue. The two local clinics provided initial treatment to the injured, who were subsequently transported to larger cities for further medical care. Puerto Leguizamo is situated in the Amazonian province of Putumayo, bordering Ecuador and Peru.
“I want to thank the people of Puerto Leguizamo who came out to help the victims of this accident,” Claros told Colombian television station RCN.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said on X the plane that crashed Monday was transporting troops to another city in Putumayo.
Images shared online by Colombian media outlets showed a black cloud of smoke rising from a field where the plane crashed and a truck with soldiers rushing to the site.
The airplane had 128 people on board, including 115 from the Army, 11 crew members and two from the national police. Baretto said 57 people were evacuated.
Emergency crews and local residents rushed to help survivors after a deadly military plane crash in southern Colombia March 23, 2026. (Colombia’s Armed Forces press office via AP)
Media outlets shared videos of soldiers being rushed from the site on motorcycles driven by local residents, while another group of residents tried to put out the fire the crash had created in a field surrounded by dense foliage.
Carlos Fernando Silva, the commander of Colombia’s air force, said details of the crash were not yet known, “except that the plane had a problem and went down about two kilometers from the airport.”
The air force commander added that two planes, with 74 beds, were sent to the area to fly the injured back to hospitals in the capital, Bogota, and elsewhere.
President Gustavo Petro seized on the accident to promote what he called his longtime campaign to modernize planes and other equipment used by his country’s military, saying those efforts have been blocked by “bureaucratic difficulties” and suggesting that some officials should be held accountable.
“If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they must be removed,” Petro said.
Officials say a C-130 aircraft carrying mostly soldiers went down near Puerto Leguizamo on March 23, 2026, with no signs of an attack by armed groups. (Colombia’s Armed Forces press office via AP)
Critics of the president pointed out that military aircraft have been given fewer flight hours under the Petro administration due to budget cuts, which leads to less experienced crews.
Erich Saumeth, a Colombian aviation expert and military analyst, said the Hercules C-130 that crashed Monday had been donated by the United States to Colombia in 2020. Three years later, it went through an overhaul, in which its engines were inspected and key components were replaced.
“I don’t think this plane crashed because of a lack of good parts,” Saumeth said. He said investigations will have to determine why the engines of the Hercules, which has four propellers, failed so quickly after takeoff.
In a message on X Monday, Defense Minister Sánchez said so far there were no signs the plane was attacked by rebel groups that operate near Puerto Leguizamo.
Sánchez wrote that the accident was “profoundly painful for the country,” adding, “We hope that our prayers can help to relieve some of the pain.”
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