At least 66 people have been confirmed dead and four remain missing after a Colombian military transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the country’s southern Amazon region, authorities said.
The aircraft, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force, went down on Monday near the town of Puerto Leguízamo in Putumayo province, close to the borders with Peru and Ecuador.
Casualties and survivors
Officials said the plane was carrying approximately 128 people, including army personnel, air force crew and police officers. Of those on board, 66 have been confirmed dead, while dozens more were injured. At least four individuals remain unaccounted for as search and rescue operations continue.
More than 50 survivors have been rescued, many with serious injuries. Victims were transported to nearby hospitals, with some later airlifted to larger medical facilities in Bogotá due to the severity of their condition.
Crash details
The military aircraft crashed moments after taking off from Caucayá Airport en route to Puerto Asís, a short domestic flight.
Preliminary reports suggest the plane may have failed to gain proper altitude, possibly striking the end of the runway before clipping a tree and crashing into dense jungle terrain roughly one to two kilometers from the airport.
The impact triggered a fire at the crash site, and explosions were reported shortly afterward, likely caused by ammunition onboard detonating following the crash.
Authorities have said there is no evidence of an external attack, and the cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Rescue efforts hampered by terrain
Emergency response efforts have been complicated by the remote location and difficult jungle terrain. Local residents were among the first to reach the crash site and assisted in rescuing survivors before official teams arrived.
Military units and emergency services later deployed aircraft and additional personnel to evacuate the injured and support ongoing recovery operations.
Government response and criticism
Colombian President Gustavo Petro described the incident as a national tragedy and called for a full investigation into the cause of the crash.
The disaster has sparked political debate, with opposition figures raising concerns about aircraft maintenance and the condition of the country’s military fleet. Government officials have maintained that the aircraft was considered airworthy prior to takeoff.
One of the deadliest recent air disasters
The crash is among the deadliest aviation disasters in Colombia in recent years and is the deadliest reported so far in 2026.
Investigators are expected to examine flight data, maintenance records, and wreckage evidence in the coming days to determine what led to the حادث.
Ongoing search
Search teams continue to comb the crash site for the four missing individuals. Authorities warn that the death toll could still rise as recovery operations continue.
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