Flames and thick black smoke rise from the Colombian Air Force's Hercules plane that crashed during takeoff, as a member of the Colombian Police stands nearby, in Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, near the southern border with Peru [AFP]By AFP and ReutersPublished On 23 Mar 202623 Mar 2026At least one person has died after a Colombian military plane with 125 people on board crashed after takeoff in the south of the country.
Air Force Commander Carlos Fernando Silva said in a video posted on social media on Monday that the plane was carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew members, and that authorities were still investigating the cause of the crash.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced in a post on X that at least one person was killed, 77 were injured, and the status of 43 others was yet to be determined.
“The causes of the Hercules plane accident are still unknown. Strength to the families of the young soldiers of the Homeland,” he said.
Earlier, Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said the accident occurred when the Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 plane took off from Puerto Leguizamo on the border with Peru while transporting troops.
“Military units are already at the scene. However, the number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been confirmed,” Sanchez posted on social media on Monday.
“It is a deeply painful event for the country. May our prayers bring some measure of comfort,” said Sanchez.
Colombian radio station Blu Radio reported that the crash took place 3km (2 miles) from an urban centre.
Colombia acquired its first Hercules C-130 plane in the late 1960s and has more recently modernised some older C-130s with newer models sent from the United States.
Last month, another Hercules C-130 belonging to the Bolivian Air Force crashed in the city of El Alto, barely missing a residential building.
In the crash, more than 20 people were killed, and a further 30 were injured.
