Colombia military plane crashes during takeoff, 110 soldiers aboard: Report Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said the accident happened as the plane was taking off from Puerto Leguizamo, deep in Colombia's southern Amazon region on the border with Peru, as it transported troopsPTIColombia's defense ministry said on Monday a Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 plane was involved in an accident in the south of the country, with local outlet BluRadio reporting 110 soldiers were travelling on board. Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said the accident happened as the plane was taking off from Puerto Leguizamo, deep in Colombia's southern Amazon region on the border with Peru, as it transported troops. BluRadio cited authorities as saying 110 soldiers were on board, and the crash took place just 3 km (2 miles) from an urban centre. "If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed." Hercules C-130 planes were first launched in the 1950s, and Colombia acquired its first models in the late 1960s.

Source: The Telegraph March 23, 2026 17:20 UTC