ISLAMABAD: Scores of soldiers are feared dead after a military transport plane carrying 125 personnel crashed shortly after takeoff in the remote southern Amazon region on Monday.
The Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 plunged to the ground just three kilometres from an urban centre in Puerto Leguizamo, Putumayo department, near the Peruvian border.
Official records confirm 114 soldiers and 11 air force crew members were aboard the aircraft bound for troop transport duties.
Military sources indicate 71 people have so far been pulled alive from the wreckage, yet the exact death toll remains undetermined as rescue teams scour the site.
Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez called the event a tragic accident that is profoundly painful for the entire nation.
He stressed the plane was ferrying troops from armed forces bases when disaster struck during the critical takeoff phase.
Air Force Commander Fernando Silva posted a video confirming the passenger count and revealing that investigators are probing every possible cause.
President Gustavo Petro described the crash as a horrific accident that should never have happened, voicing hope for zero fatalities.
In pointed remarks, Petro slammed bureaucratic delays blocking military fleet modernisation, declaring the lives of young soldiers hang in the balance.
He pledged immediate action and warned that any official falling short would face removal from duty without further delay.
Thick black smoke billowed from the crash site, with eyewitness footage capturing the Hercules descending seconds after leaving the runway.
Local residents rushed to aid survivors, ferrying injured troops on motorbikes through the dense jungle terrain.
This marks the latest blow to regional air safety, following a Bolivian C-130 crash in late February that killed over 20 and injured 30.
Colombia’s Hercules fleet, operational since the late 1960s and upgraded via US transfers, routinely hauls up to 120 personnel across vast Amazon expanses.
The aircraft type remains vital for operations against drug cartels and armed groups in Colombia’s challenging southern provinces.
Armed Forces Commander General Hugo López vowed the response would reflect utmost responsibility, humanity and full transparency.
Presidential candidates swiftly offered condolences while demanding an independent probe into maintenance and operational protocols.
Rescue operations continue round the clock in the Amazon border zone, where thick vegetation and remoteness complicate recovery efforts.
The defence ministry has withheld full victim details pending forensic confirmation and family notifications.
Aviation experts highlight takeoff vulnerability, where mechanical failure or environmental factors can prove fatal within moments.
Colombian authorities have deployed helicopters and ground teams to secure the perimeter and assist survivors.
This incident raises urgent questions about the readiness of ageing transport fleets serving Colombia’s 125,000-strong military.
As casualty figures emerge, the nation braces for the human and strategic cost of the Putumayo tragedy.
Further updates from Puerto Leguizamo are anticipated once the investigation yields preliminary findings on the crash sequence.