Colombian Air Force C-130 Hercules Crashes with 125 on Board Near Puerto Leguízamo

A Colombian Air Force Hercules C-130 crashed shortly after takeoff from Puerto Leguízamo in the Putumayo department on March 23, 2026, with conflicting reports placing between 80 and 125 people on board. Defense Minister Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez confirmed the accident on social media, describing it as a "tragic accident" while transporting troops of the armed forces. Colombian Air Force Commander Fernando Silva stated in a video posted online that the aircraft carried 114 passengers and 11 crew members, for a total of 125 people, though an army representative cited by AFP put the figure at approximately 80. A spokesperson for President Gustavo Petro confirmed to The New York Times that the plane was carrying Colombian Marines at the time of the crash. The aircraft went down in a rural area of the Putumayo region, approximately 3 kilometers from the urban center of Puerto Leguízamo, near the border with Peru. Videos circulated on social media showed thick plumes of smoke and flames rising from wreckage in a forest clearing. Sánchez stated that the causes of the accident had not yet been established and urged the public to refrain from speculation until official information became available.

Rescue count ranges from 48 to 71 survivors Rescue operations were underway as of Monday evening, with reports of survivors varying significantly across sources. Two military sources cited by RTE reported that 71 people had been evacuated alive from the wreckage, while other reports placed the number of rescued at 48. Local media reported that 20 soldiers were initially found alive with the help of local residents, and separate accounts mentioned 67 people transported to health facilities in the area, without specifying their conditions. Residents on motorcycles were seen in videos clearing the way for soldiers rushing to the site on foot and in trucks, and local civilians assisted in pulling survivors from the wreckage. Sánchez confirmed that all protocols for assistance to victims and their families had been activated, alongside an ongoing investigation. The exact number of fatalities had not been officially confirmed as of the time of reporting.

BluRadio / Reuters: 110, Army representative (AFP): 80, Air Force Commander Fernando Silva: 125, El Tiempo (anonymous source): 120, Vice President Francia Márquez Mina: 100+

Petro blames bureaucratic delays for military modernization failures President Gustavo Petro reacted sharply to the crash, linking the accident to what he described as systemic failures in military modernization. „I hope there are no fatalities in this horrific accident that should never have happened.” — Gustavo Petro via RTE.ie Petro stated on social media that bureaucratic obstacles within the military administration had prevented the completion of a modernization plan he had requested a year prior, calling the issue a priority of his presidency for years. „I will grant no further delays; it is the lives of our young people that are at stake. If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed.” — Gustavo Petro via RTE.ie The ANSA report noted that the crash shook Colombian politics several months before presidential elections. Defense Minister Sánchez, a retired officer of the Colombian Air Force who has served as minister since February 2025, expressed condolences to the families of those affected. Colombia acquired its first C-130 Hercules models in the late 1960s and has more recently modernized some older aircraft with newer models transferred from the United States under a law allowing the transfer of used or surplus military equipment, according to RTE. The C-130 Hercules has been in service with various armed forces worldwide since the 1950s. At the end of February 2026, a Hercules C-130 belonging to the Bolivian Air Force crashed in the populous city of El Alto, barely missing a residential block, killing more than 20 people and injuring another 30. Banknotes from that aircraft's cargo scattered around the city, prompting clashes between residents and security forces.

Second C-130 crash in Latin America within weeks The Colombian crash came less than a month after a similar disaster in Bolivia, raising questions about the operational condition of aging C-130 fleets across the region. The Bolivian crash in El Alto at the end of February 2026 resulted in more than 20 deaths and approximately 30 injuries, according to Reuters and RTE. 30 (injured) — people hurt in the February 2026 Bolivian C-130 crash in El Alto In the Colombian case, Lockheed Martin, the United States defense company that manufactures the C-130, did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Reuters. The cause of the Colombian crash remained unclear as of Monday evening, with the defense ministry stressing that an investigation was ongoing. The remote jungle terrain around Puerto Leguízamo, deep in Colombia's southern Amazon region, posed logistical challenges for rescue teams reaching the site. No final casualty toll had been released by Colombian authorities by the time of the latest reports.