Colombia Air Force crash sees 77 rescued, one dead Updated

At least 77 military personnel have been rescued following the crash of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Air Force, with at least one fatality confirmed, authorities said.

President Gustavo Petro stated that 77 injured individuals had been transported to the hospital, Caliber.Az reports via foreign media.

“At this moment, 77 wounded have been taken to the hospital. There is one fatality,” he wrote on social media platform X.

Petro added that officials are awaiting confirmation regarding the fate of a further 43 people believed to have been on board.

Earlier, Colombian Air Force commander Carlos Silva Rueda said the aircraft was carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew members at the time of the crash.

20:47

A Colombian Air Force Hercules C-130 aircraft carrying more than 100 military personnel crashed in the southern part of the country, Caracol radio has reported.

The country’s Defence Minister, Pedro Sanchez, confirmed the incident on X but did not specify the number of people on board. “With deep sorrow, I report that a Colombian Air Force Hercules aircraft carrying members of our armed forces crashed during takeoff in Puerto Leguízamo,” he wrote.

According to the minister, military personnel are working at the crash site. “However, it is not yet possible to determine the exact number of casualties or the cause of the incident,” Sanchez added.