A tragic incident occurred in Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, where a military transport plane crashed shortly after take-off, resulting in the loss of 66 lives. The plane, carrying 128 individuals, predominantly soldiers, crashed on Monday, March 23. Numerous individuals sustained injuries in the crash, with four military personnel still unaccounted for.
According to Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez, the aircraft was en route to another city in Putumayo with troops onboard. General Hugo Alejandro Lopez Barreto expressed sorrow over the loss of 66 military members in the accident. He clarified that there is currently no evidence suggesting the crash was due to an attack by an illegal armed group.
The bodies of the deceased have been transferred to the local morgue, while the injured received initial treatment at local clinics before being transferred to larger cities. Puerto Leguizamo, situated in Putumayo, a province bordering Ecuador and Peru, witnessed the tragic incident.
Colombian media shared images depicting a thick black smoke cloud rising from the crash site, with soldiers swiftly responding to the scene. Carlos Fernando Silva, Colombia’s air force commander, mentioned that specific details about the crash remain unknown, except that the plane encountered a problem and went down approximately two kilometers from the airport.
