At least one person died and 77 were hospitalized following the crash of a Colombian military plane that occurred on Monday in the Amazon region, authorities in the country reported.
The aircraft, a Hercules C-130 manufactured in the United States, was transporting 125 people —114 passengers and 11 crew members— when it crashed shortly after taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, near the border with Peru.
The president Gustavo Petro stated that the situation of more than 40 occupants has not yet been confirmed, while rescue operations continue in an area that is difficult to access. Military sources previously indicated that at least 71 people had been rescued alive from the site of the incident.
Images released by local media show a thick column of smoke rising from the wreckage of the plane, which crashed about three kilometers from an urban center. A video captured the moment when the aircraft loses altitude just seconds after takeoff.
The commander of the Air Force, General Fernando Silva, stated that the causes of the accident are still under investigation. For his part, the Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, confirmed that the plane was transporting troops at the time of the incident.
The accident has reignited the debate on the modernization of the Colombian military fleet. The C-130 aircraft, in service since the 1950s, have been subject to upgrades, but are still considered outdated equipment. Petro criticized the bureaucratic delays in the renewal plans and warned that he will not tolerate any further delays.
The manufacturer Lockheed Martin expressed its condolences and offered technical support to Colombia in the investigation. This incident comes weeks after a similar accident in Bolivia, which resulted in over 20 fatalities.
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