At least 66 individuals have lost their lives following a military aircraft crash shortly after taking off in Colombia. Reports indicate that the aircraft, carrying 128 passengers, predominantly soldiers, crashed on Monday, March 23 in Puerto Leguizamo. Numerous individuals sustained injuries in the incident, with four military personnel still unaccounted for.

According to Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez, the plane was en route to another city in Putumayo to transport troops. General Hugo Alejandro Lopez Barreto expressed his condolences, stating, “Sadly, as a consequence of this tragic accident, 66 of our military elements died.” He also mentioned that there is currently no evidence suggesting an attack by an illegal armed group.

The deceased victims have been transferred to the local morgue, while the injured were initially treated at two local clinics before being airlifted to larger cities. Puerto Leguizamo, situated in Putumayo, a province bordering Ecuador and Peru, was the location of the crash.

Media images circulated online depicted a thick black smoke cloud rising from the crash site in a field, with a military truck seen rushing to the scene. Carlos Fernando Silva, Colombia’s air force commander, indicated that specific details of the crash remain unknown, except that the aircraft encountered a problem and went down approximately two kilometers from the airport.