2 months ago
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A subject transport level with 125 radical connected committee crashed soon aft taking disconnected Monday (March 23, 2026) successful southwestern Colombia, causing an undetermined fig of casualties, officials successful the South American state said. At slightest 48 radical were rescued alive.
Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez said connected X that the level was carrying troops erstwhile the “tragic accident” occurred successful Puerto Leguizamo, a distant municipality successful the Amazonian state of Putumayo, which borders Peru and Ecuador.
Images shared online by Colombian media outlets showed a achromatic unreality of fume rising from a tract wherever the level crashed, and a motortruck with soldiers rushing to the site.
Carlos Fernando Silva, the commandant of Colombia’s Air Force, aboriginal issued a video saying that 125 radical were connected committee the Hercules C-130 plane, including 114 passengers and 11 unit members. Mr. Silva said that astatine slightest 48 radical were rescued live arsenic rescue efforts continued astatine the clang site.
Media outlets shared videos of soldiers being rushed from the tract connected motorcycles driven by section residents.
“At this infinitesimal we bash not cognize details” of the clang Silva said. “Except that the level had a occupation and went down astir 2 kilometers from the airport.” The aerial unit commandant added that 2 planes, with 74 beds, had been sent to the country to alert the injured backmost to hospitals successful Bogota and elsewhere.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro wrote connected X that helium hoped determination would beryllium “no deadly casualties successful this mishap that should person not occurred.” Petro seized connected the mishap to beforehand what helium called his long-time run to modernize planes and different instrumentality utilized by his country’s military, saying those efforts person been blocked by “bureaucratic difficulties” and suggesting that immoderate officials should beryllium held accountable. “If civilian oregon subject administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they indispensable beryllium removed,” Petro said.
Mr. Sánchez wrote that the mishap was “profoundly achy for the country,” adding that: “We anticipation that our prayers tin assistance to relieve immoderate of the pain.”
