Colombian military plane with 110 soldiers onboard crashes following takeoff (Video)

A Colombian Air Force transport plane carrying 125 people crashed shortly after take-off in the country's southern Amazon region on Monday, March 23. The Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130, which was transporting troops, went down near Puerto Leguizamo, close to the Peruvian border. Around 57 people have been rescued alive, sources told Reuters. It still leaves more than 50 people unaccounted for. Footage published by local outlet BluRadio showed thick plumes of smoke rising from the crash site, located just 3 km (2 miles) from an urban centre.BREAKING: Colombian Air Force plane carrying 110 people crashes near Puerto Leguzamo - local media pic.twitter.com/YroHAk1lHG BNO News Live (@BNODesk) March 23, 2026 The country's defence minister, Pedro Anulfo Sanchez, said on Monday the Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 plane had "suffered a tragic accident". Mr. Sanchez said he hoped the prayers of Colombians would help alleviate the "pain" of the families of the victims. Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed the accident on X, adding that the "exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined." "I hope there are no fatalities in this horrific accident that should never have happened," President Gustavo Petro said in a post on X, in which he criticised bureaucratic obstacles for delaying his plans to modernise the military. "I will grant no further delays; it is the lives of our young people that are at stake," he said. "If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed." The post Colombian military plane with 110 soldiers onboard crashes following takeoff (Video) appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.