Colombian Military C-130 Crash Kills 70 in Putumayo Province

BOGOTÁ — At least 70 people were killed and 14 others injured when a Colombian military transport aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff March 23.

The Lockheed C-130 Hercules operated by the Colombian Aerospace Force went down about two kilometers from Caucayá Airport in Puerto Leguízamo, Putumayo province. The aircraft was transporting military personnel and police officers to Tres de Mayo Airport when it lost altitude over dense jungle terrain. The death toll was initially reported as 66 but later revised to 70.

Defense Minister Pedro Arnulfo Sánchez confirmed investigators found no evidence of sabotage by rebel factions or illegal armed groups operating in the Amazon region. Authorities are examining mechanical failure, pilot error and potential excess weight as primary causes. President Gustavo Petro declared three days of national mourning, calling the crash "a tragedy that should not have occurred." The incident marks the second-deadliest crash in Colombian Aerospace Force history.