At least 66 people were killed and several dozen were injured when a military transport plane with 125 people on board crashed in southern Colombia on Monday, officials said, according to LETA citing AFP/AP.
The "C-130 Hercules" aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff in the municipality of Puerto Leguízamo, located near the southern border with Ecuador and Peru. There were 125 people on board — 114 passengers and 11 crew members.
A source in the armed forces reported that 58 army personnel, six air force members, and two police officers were killed.
In footage circulated online by local media, a black column of smoke can be seen rising from the crash site.
Rescue teams have been dispatched to the scene, and an investigation into the cause of the accident has begun.
The crash occurred in a border area where active military activity has been observed in recent weeks — the armies of Colombia and Ecuador are fighting against drug cartels and armed groups.
"This event is very painful for the country," said Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez. "We hope that our prayers will help ease the pain."
This is the second crash of a "C-130 Hercules" aircraft in South America in less than a month.
On February 27, a Bolivian army cargo plane "C-130 Hercules" carrying banknotes crashed while landing near La Paz. At least 24 people were killed in that accident.
