A Colombian Air Force Hercules C-130 transport plane carrying 125 military personnel crashed during takeoff from Puerto Leguizamo on Monday, resulting in significant casualties near the nation’s southern border with Ecuador. The aircraft, designated FAC 1016, went down shortly after departure, scattering burning wreckage across the jungle terrain below.
Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez confirmed the tragedy, expressing ‘deep sorrow’ over the incident while noting that military response units had immediately deployed to the crash site. Initial reports indicated approximately 48 survivors had been located, though a military source suggested the death toll might reach 80 individuals. The exact number of casualties and the cause of the accident remain under investigation.
The ill-fated flight was transporting 114 troops and 11 crew members between military outposts in the Amazon region, an area that has witnessed intensified military operations against drug trafficking organizations and armed militias in recent weeks. Visual evidence from the scene depicted civilians navigating through debris near the aircraft’s severed tail section as smoke continued to rise above the canopy.
This incident marks the second catastrophic crash involving a C-130 Hercules aircraft in South America within a month, following a Bolivian military cargo plane accident on February 27th that resulted in 24 fatalities. The Lockheed Martin-built turboprop aircraft is renowned for its versatility in operating from rudimentary airstrips and remains a workhorse for military transport operations globally.