The death toll from the crash of a Colombian military plane with 125 soldiers and crew members on board has risen to at least 66 dead and dozens injured. The accident occurred on Monday morning. The aircraft, a C-130 Hercules, crashed shortly after takeoff from Puerto Leguizamo, near the southern border with Ecuador and Peru, scattering burning wreckage across the jungle. A military source said 58 soldiers died, along with six air force members and two police officers.
Rescue operations continued throughout the morning, while the conditions of some passengers still remain to be clarified. President Gustavo Petro, reports the website of the newspaper El Tiempo, confirmed the activation of the national health network and called for caution, underlining that the causes of the accident remain unknown at the moment and are being investigated by the competent Colombian authorities.