Military Aircraft With 110 Soldiers Onboard Crashes During Takeoff in Colombia

Addis Ababa, March 23, 2026 (FMC) — A Colombian military transport aircraft carrying 110 soldiers has crashed shortly after takeoff in the southern part of the country, according to authorities and media reports.

Colombia’s Defense Minister, Pedro Sánchez, said the aircraft went down on Monday in Puerto Leguízamo, a town in the Putumayo department near the border with Peru.

Local media outlet BluRadio, cited by Reuters, reported that 110 soldiers were on board the aircraft at the time of the incident.

According to the minister, military units were immediately deployed to the scene following the crash. However, the exact number of casualties and the cause of the accident have not yet been determined.

The aircraft involved was identified as a C-130 Hercules military transport plane, which was transporting troops when the incident occurred.

President Gustavo Petro expressed concern over the crash, saying he hoped there would be no fatalities and describing the incident as one that “should never have happened,” while pointing to longstanding challenges in modernizing the country’s military equipment.

The incident remains under investigation, with authorities expected to provide further updates as rescue and assessment operations continue.