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Colombian Air Force C-130 Crashes After Takeoff; Reports Put Death Toll at 66

The disaster sharpened scrutiny of Colombia's aging transport fleet.

Overview

  • The C-130, which crashed Monday after takeoff from Puerto Leguízamo near the Peru border, was carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew, the air force said.
  • Later reports from military sources put the death toll at 66, though officials say counts remain provisional as search teams work the site.
  • Dozens of survivors were evacuated for treatment in Putumayo and Bogotá, with local residents helping move the injured on motorcycles as military medevac aircraft flew in.
  • Investigators are examining technical and operational factors, authorities reported no sign of an attack, and Lockheed Martin offered to assist with the probe.
  • President Gustavo Petro pressed for faster fleet modernization after the crash of the decades-old transport type, which Colombia has flown since the late 1960s, a debate revived weeks after a similar C-130 accident in Bolivia.