Colombian Defence Minister Pedro S\u00e1nchez said the plane had suffered “a tragic accident while it was taking off from Puerto Legu\u00edzamo, transporting troops of our security forces”.<\/p>\n
He added that the exact number of victims was not yet known but described the incident as “deeply sad for the country”.<\/p>\n
Images shared by local media show a plume of smoke rising from the site and trucks carrying soldiers heading to the area. <\/p>\n
Footage on local news sites also appears to show locals transporting what seem to be injured soldiers from the accident site to hospitals on the back of small motorbikes. <\/p>\n
President Gustavo Petro wrote on X that he “hopes that we won’t have fatalities in this horrendous accident which should not have happened”. <\/p>\n
In the lengthy post, he also blamed “bureaucratic problems” for holding up his plans to modernise the armed forces’ equipment and their aircraft. <\/p>\n
“I will allow no further delays, the lives of our young people are at stake,” he wrote without clarifying what may have caused the accident. <\/p>\n