Colombia military plane crashes killing dozens
dw.com • • world
Key Points:
- A military transport plane carrying 128 people crashed shortly after takeoff in Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, resulting in at least 66 deaths and dozens of injuries, with four military personnel still missing.
- The Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 was transporting troops from Puerto Leguizamo to Putumayo when it crashed approximately 3 kilometers from an urban center in Colombia's southern Amazon region.
- Investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing, with no current evidence indicating an attack by illegal armed groups.
- Colombia's President Gustavo Petro criticized bureaucratic delays hindering military modernization efforts, emphasizing the urgent need to protect military personnel.
- The Hercules C-130, a military aircraft used by Colombia since the late 1960s, has recently seen some fleet updates with newer models from the US; similar aircraft crashes have occurred in the region, including a fatal crash in Bolivia earlier this year.
