WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - At least 66 people were killed and dozens of others were injured after a Colombian Air Force plane crashed on takeoff in the country's southern border with Peru.
The US-made C-130 Hercules plane, used for transporting troops, caught fire after crash-landing near Puerto Leguízamo, a town bordering Peru, reports quoting the Putumayo region's Governor Jhon Gabriel Molina said.
114 army personnel, two police officers, and 11 crew-members were on board the ill-fated flight, Colombian Air force commander Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda was quoted as saying.
According to news agencies, victims include 58 soldiers, six air force personnel and two police officers.
Colombian Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said ammunition stored aboard the aircraft exploded after catching fire.
An investigation into the cause of the Lockheed Martin-built aircraft's crash has been launched.
It marks one of the deadliest accidents in recent history for Colombia's Air Force.
Copyright(c) 2026 RTTNews.com. All Rights Reserved
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2026 AFX News
