Death toll in Colombia military plane crash rises to 69

International

THE death toll from a military plane crash in southern Colombia has risen to 69 as authorities officially concluded search and rescue operations on Wednesday.

A report by BBC stated that the aircraft, a Hercules C-130, crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday near Colombia’s border with Peru. The Colombian armed forces said 126 people were on board, revising an earlier figure of 128.

Among those onboard were 113 members of the army, two police officers, and 11 crew members.

In addition to the fatalities, 57 people were injured. Many survivors were rescued by local residents who rushed to the crash site, pulling victims from the burning wreckage and transporting them to nearby hospitals on motorbikes.

The plane had been traveling from Puerto Leguízamo to Puerto Asís when it went down shortly after takeoff.

Mobile phone footage shared on social media showed the aircraft losing height before crashing, followed by a large plume of smoke and multiple explosions. Colombia’s defense minister said the explosions were caused by ammunition onboard igniting in the flames.

Authorities said there is no indication that the aircraft was attacked by any armed groups operating in the Putumayo region.

An investigation is currently underway to determine the cause of the crash.

President Gustavo Petro appeared to blame outdated military equipment for the incident. In a series of social media posts, he criticized delays in modernizing the armed forces’ equipment, citing “bureaucratic problems” that have slowed the process.

“This piece of scrap metal was bought in 2020 and came down, let’s ask why,” Petro said, without directly mentioning the aircraft model. He also said he would not allow further delays, stressing that the lives of young service members are at stake.

The crash comes weeks after another deadly incident involving a Hercules C-130. On February 27, a Bolivian military plane of the same model overshot a runway while approaching El Alto airport and crashed into traffic, killing 24 people.(Zsarrhied Samantha A. Tanjay, CTU-TC BAEL-ELSD Intern)