At least 66 people died when a Colombian military transport plane crashed in the country’s south, the head of the armed forces said on Tuesday. The Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules went down shortly after departing Puerto Leguizamo, a municipality in an Amazonian province that borders Ecuador and Peru.
Authorities said about 128 people were on board, mostly soldiers. Dozens more were wounded. Local news outlets published videos showing residents rushing to the crash site on foot and by motorcycle to assist survivors, and the president thanked those first responders for their efforts.
President Gustavo Petro praised the civilians who ran to help and used the tragedy to renew calls for modernizing the military’s aircraft and equipment, saying delays are unacceptable and that officials who cannot meet the challenge should be removed.
The cause of the accident remains under investigation. General Hugo Alejandro Lopez Barreto, head of Colombia’s armed forces, said there was no indication the plane was attacked by nearby rebel groups.
The crash follows a recent accident involving another C-130 in the region: a Bolivian Air Force Hercules went down last month in El Alto, western Bolivia, killing more than 20 people and injuring about 30. That incident provoked unrest after banknotes from the plane’s cargo scattered in the city and clashes broke out between residents and security forces.
Colombian authorities continue rescue and recovery operations at the scene while investigators work to determine what caused the aircraft to crash.