At least 66 people have been killed and dozens more injured after a Colombian military plane crashed into the Amazon rainforest moments after taking off.
There were 128 people, mostly soldiers, on board the Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 plane, which took off on Monday in Puerto Leguizamo, southern Colombia.
The plane was seen slowly descending to the ground shortly afterwards, in a section of dense jungle close to the border with Peru.
Video footage taken shortly after shows the wreckage in flames and engulfed by smoke, with rescuers combing through the debris for survivors. The cause of the crash is not yet known, and an investigation has been launched.
Onboard were 115 members of the Colombian army, 11 crew and two National Police.
General Hugo Alejandro Lopez Barreto said that four of the military personnel were still missing.
“Sadly, as a consequence of this tragic accident, 66 of our military elements died,” he said. “At the moment, we have no information, or indications, that it was an attack by an illegal armed group,” Barreto said.
The Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 is an American four-engine military transport aircraft that is used by armies around the world.
Colombia acquired its first C-130 Hercules in the late 1960s and had recently been updating some of its older planes.
Colombian president Gustavo Petro wrote on X that “this horrendous accident … should not have happened”, and “bureaucratic problems” had held up plans to modernise the armed forces’ aircraft.
“I will allow no further delays; the lives of our young people are at stake,” he wrote.
Last month, another C-130 Hercules plane crashed in Bolivia, killing 20 people and injuring 30 others.
A spokesperson for Lockheed Martin said the company was committed to helping Colombia as it investigates the incident.
“We extend our deepest condolences to those impacted, as well as the people of Colombia and the Colombian Air Force,” a spokesperson said. “Safety is our top priority, and we are committed to supporting our customers in any way as they investigate the incident. Anything further will be best addressed by the Colombian government.”
Defence minister Pedro Anulfo Sanchez described the crash as a tragic accident, adding that there was no indication of an “attack by illegal actors”.
“I express my sincerest condolences to the families of those affected and, out of respect for their grief, I urge everyone to avoid speculation until official information is available,” he said.
Sanchez later added that the plane hit the ground just 1.5 km (0.9 miles) away from where it took off, with ammunition on board detonating as a result of the fire.
According to local media, the crash happened just two miles from a busy urban centre.
In a video on social media, deputy mayor Carlos Claros said the victims’ bodies were taken to the town’s morgue, while two nearby clinics treated the injured before they were flown to the capital Bogota and other larger cities.
“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.
