66 killed, 4 missing after military plane crash in Colombia

KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 66 people have been killed and four remain missing after a Colombian military plane crashed during takeoff, media reports said on Tuesday.

According to Reuters, the aircraft went down on Monday, killing dozens, while rescuers transported survivors to nearby hospitals and continued searching for the missing.

The Hercules C-130 transport plane was carrying 128 people, including 11 Air Force personnel, 115 army soldiers, and two national police officers, said Hugo Alejandro Lopez, head of the country’s armed forces.

The death toll is nearly double earlier figures released by authorities, as search and recovery operations continue at the crash site.

The accident occurred as the plane attempted to take off from Puerto Leguízamo, near the border with Peru, Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said in a post on X.

Authorities said the crash site is difficult to access, complicating rescue efforts, though military vehicles were later deployed to the area.

Lopez added that 57 survivors have been hospitalized, with 30 reported to be in stable condition at a military clinic.

hz/sa