A Colombian navy transport aircraft with largely troopers on board crashed Monday in Puerto Leguizamo, killing at the very least 33 individuals and leaving dozens injured, in accordance with the city’s deputy mayor.
The crash occurred shortly after the aircraft took off, in accordance with Colombia’s protection minister. The aircraft was carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew members, in accordance with the newest numbers launched by the Colombian air drive, which reported that at the very least 77 individuals had been rescued from the crash website with accidents.
In a video posted to social media, Puerto Leguizamo Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros mentioned the our bodies of the victims had been taken to the small city’s morgue, and that the one two clinics on the town handled the injured earlier than they had been flown to bigger cities. Puerto Leguizamo is situated in Putumayo, an Amazonian province that borders Ecuador and Peru.
Photos shared on-line by native media retailers confirmed a black cloud of smoke rising from a subject the place the aircraft crashed, and a truck with troopers speeding to the positioning.
Daniel Ortiz /AFP through Getty Photos
In a message Monday on X, Protection Minister Pedro Sánchez mentioned the crash was a “tragic accident” and there have been no indicators indicating that the Hercules C-130 aircraft was attacked by insurgent teams that function close to Puerto Leguizamo.
Sánchez wrote that the accident was “profoundly painful for the nation,” including: “We hope that our prayers can assist to alleviate a number of the ache.” He mentioned rescue groups had been despatched to the positioning of the crash and that the reason for the crash nonetheless hasn’t been decided.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro shared a video on X of troopers and witnesses working to place out a hearth sparked by the crash.
Petro additionally seized on the accident to advertise what he referred to as his long-time marketing campaign to modernize planes and different gear utilized by his nation’s navy, saying these efforts have been blocked by “bureaucratic difficulties” and suggesting that some officers needs to be held accountable.
“If civilian or navy administrative officers are lower than the problem, they have to be eliminated,” Petro mentioned.
