VIDEOS | Air tragedy in Colombia: Military plane falls and leaves dead and dozens injured

A Hercules C-130 military aircraft of the Colombian Air Force crashed this Monday morning in Puerto Leguízamo, in the department of Putumayo, southwest of Colombia.

Air tragedy in Colombia: Military plane falls and leaves dead and dozens injuredhttps://t.co/uQBYroDAAd

A Hercules collapsed after taking off in Putumayo; There are at least eight deaths and more than 80 injured, several seriously pic.twitter.com/vxbcelbuBG

— El Imparcial de Oaxaca (@ImparcialOaxaca) March 23, 2026

The accident occurred around 9:50 a.m., just at the time of takeoff, when the aircraft was covering the route to Puerto Asís, which caused an immediate mobilization of emergency bodies and military forces.

PRELIMINARY BALANCE: DEAD AND INJURED

According to local authorities, the accident left at least eight people dead—still unidentified—and 83 injured, of which 14 are reported to be in critical condition.

There were 114 passengers and 11 crew members on the plane, mostly members of public forces, which has increased the dimension of the institutional and social impact of the event.

CONTINUED RESEARCH

The commander of the Aerospace Force, Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda, confirmed the details of the accident, while the Minister of Defense, Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez, reported that the care protocols and corresponding investigations have already been activated.

“All care protocols for the victims and their families have been activated, as well as the corresponding investigation,” he said.

So far, the causes of the accident have not been determined.

“A DEEP PAIN”

The minister also expressed the national impact of the event:

“It is a deeply painful event for the country… that our prayers accompany and alleviate the pain to some extent.”

Likewise, he asked to avoid speculation while the official investigations progress.

QUESTIONS ABOUT AIR SAFETY

The accident once again puts operational and safety conditions on military flights under the microscope, especially in remote areas like Putumayo, where air operations are key for the transfer of personnel.

While work continues in the accident area, the country remains attentive to the identification of victims and the causes that caused one of the most serious recent air tragedies in the region.