A C-130 Hercules military aircraft crashed in the south of Colombia with 125 people on board. Authorities report at least 48 survivors and are still tallying the death toll.
A Lockheed C-130 Hercules military aircraft of the Colombian army crashed in the south of the country, the Ministry of Defense announced on Monday. Authorities have confirmed that at least 48 of the 125 people on board the plane survived the crash, but have not yet released the final death toll. TASR writes about it on the basis of Reuters and AFP agencies.
- A military plane C-130 Hercules of the Colombian army crashed in the south of Colombia.
- There were 114 soldiers and eleven crew members on board the machine.
- At least forty-eight people out of one hundred and twenty-five survived the accident.
General Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda specified that there were 114 soldiers and 11 crew members on board the plane. The AFP agency, citing a military source, reported earlier that about 80 soldiers died in the accident.
Crash on start
Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez confirmed that the accident occurred when the plane took off from the city of Puerto Leguizamo in the department of Putumayo on the border with Ecuador and Peru.
AFP reports that both the Colombian and Ecuadorian armies have been conducting intensive military operations in this border area in recent weeks in an effort to fight drug cartels and militias.
Intervention of emergency services
State television RCN broadcast images of the plane’s burning fuselage. According to the BBC, emergency services are on the scene.
“It is a very painful event for the country. Let our prayers bring at least some consolation,” Sánchez added.
US defense company Lockheed Martin did not immediately respond to Reuters’ request for comment.
