At least 33 people have been confirmed dead and 81 injured from a crashed Colombian Air Force Lockheed C‑130 Hercules, a military transport plane that crashed March 23, 2026, moments into the air off Puerto Leguízamo, southwestern Amazonian areas of Colombia.
The plane was on my way to Puerto Asís at the time it went down and plunged into a deep forestland situated a few kilometres from the runway, early today and 125 passengers - including 114 and 11 crew members - were injured.
The Colombian authorities confirmed that emergency teams were dispatched very soon, and rescue workers and people living in the area supported the rescue effort. Thick plumes of smoke rose from the site during firefighters’ attempts at extinguishing fires and escorting the victims.
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said there was no initial indication that the crash occurred because of hostile attacks, but promised an investigation into the possible mechanical or operational reasons that could have possibly led to the tragedy at work.
Many of those injured got treated first at local hospitals in Putumayo and were then airlifted to hospital of higher-graded level in larger cities, with many in critical condition. Gustavo Petro expressed remorse for the loss of life and emphasized the need to modernise old aircraft from the military fleet and modernise the services.
The far‑reaching effects of the accident are still being defined for many, and investigators and teams remain hopeful they locate some of the people who were reported missing at the time. The C‑130 Hercules is a popular unit of service for decades over time but has become the subject of some other age‑related mishaps in the region as well.
As Colombia grieves the death toll, government calls for improvement in air transport safety standards for military personnel are growing as well. Family members have been notified and actions are taking place.
