A Colombian military transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the country’s southern Amazon region, with dozens of people feared dead and many others injured, authorities said.
The aircraft, identified as a Lockheed C-130 Hercules, went down near the town of Puerto Leguízamo, close to Colombia’s borders with Peru and Ecuador. The plane was carrying more than 120 personnel, most of them military troops.
Initial reports indicated heavy casualties, with officials warning that the death toll could be significant as rescue teams continue operations in the remote jungle area.
Emergency crews and military personnel were deployed to the crash site, where wreckage was scattered across dense forest and thick smoke was seen rising from the debris. The difficult terrain has complicated search and recovery efforts.
Later updates from authorities suggested the incident could be one of the deadliest aviation disasters in recent Colombian military history, with at least 66 fatalities reported and dozens injured.
The crash occurred minutes after takeoff, though the exact cause remains under investigation. Officials have not ruled out technical failure, but no immediate indication of external attack has been reported.
The aircraft was part of Colombia’s military transport fleet, widely used for troop movement in remote and conflict-affected regions.
Authorities have launched a formal investigation, while rescue teams continue to search for survivors and recover bodies from the crash site.