At least 66 killed in military plane crash in Colombia, head of armed forces says

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — The caput of Colombia’s equipped forces said the decease toll from a subject level clang has reached 66.

“Sadly, arsenic a effect of this tragic accident, 66 of our subject elements died,” General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto said. He added that 4 subject unit were inactive missing.

The Hercules C-130 crashed soon aft taking disconnected Monday successful Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, according to the town’s lawman mayor.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. AP’s earlier communicative follows below.

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A subject transport level with 121 radical connected board, mostly soldiers, crashed soon aft taking disconnected Monday successful Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, sidesplitting astatine slightest 33 radical and leaving astatine slightest 81 injured, according to the town's lawman mayor.

In a video posted connected societal media, Deputy Mayor Carlos Claros said that the bodies of the victims were taken to the tiny town's morgue, and that the lone 2 clinics successful municipality treated the injured earlier they were flown to larger cities. Puerto Leguizamo is located successful Putumayo, an Amazonian state that borders Ecuador and Peru.

“I privation to convey the radical of Puerto Leguizamo who came retired to assistance the victims of this accident,” Claros told Colombian tv presumption RCN.

Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez said connected X that the level that crashed Monday was transporting troops to different metropolis successful Putumayo.

Images shared online by Colombian media outlets showed a achromatic unreality of fume rising from a tract wherever the level crashed and a motortruck with soldiers rushing to the site.

The aerial unit said successful a connection that astatine slightest 77 radical were rescued from the clang tract with injuries. A spokesperson from the Defense Ministry said that officials are inactive investigating the last fig of fatalities.

A connection from the subject bid posted online by Colombian President Gustavo Petro had antecedently confirmed 1 dead.

The aerial unit said that 121 radical were connected committee the Hercules C-130 plane, including 110 soldiers and 11 unit members.

Media outlets shared videos of soldiers being rushed from the tract connected motorcycles driven by section residents, portion different radical of residents tried to enactment retired the occurrence that the level clang had created successful a tract surrounded by dense foliage.

Carlos Fernando Silva, the commandant of Colombia’s aerial force, said details of the clang were not yet known, "except that the level had a occupation and went down astir 2 kilometers from the airport.”

The aerial unit commandant added that 2 planes, with 74 beds, were sent to the country to alert the injured backmost to hospitals successful the capital, Bogota, and elsewhere.

Petro seized connected the mishap to beforehand what helium called his longtime run to modernize planes and different instrumentality utilized by his country’s military, saying those efforts person been blocked by “bureaucratic difficulties” and suggesting that immoderate officials should beryllium held accountable. “If civilian oregon subject administrative officials are not up to the challenge, they indispensable beryllium removed,” Petro said.

Critics of the president pointed retired that subject craft person been fixed little formation hours nether the Petro medication owed to fund cuts, which leads to little experienced crews.

Erich Saumeth, a Colombian aviation adept and subject analyst, said that the Hercules C-130 that crashed connected Monday had been donated by the United States to Colombia successful 2020. Three years later, it went done a elaborate revision known arsenic an overhaul, successful which its motor was inspected and cardinal components were replaced.

“I don't deliberation this level crashed due to the fact that of a deficiency of bully parts,” Saumeth said. He said that investigations volition person to find wherefore the engines of the Hercules, which has 4 propellers, failed truthful rapidly aft instrumentality off.

In a connection connected X Monday, Defense Minister Sánchez said that truthful acold determination were nary signs indicating that the level was attacked by rebel groups that run adjacent Puerto Leguizamo.

Sánchez wrote that the mishap was “profoundly achy for the country,” adding that: “We anticipation that our prayers tin assistance to relieve immoderate of the pain.”

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