Accidents
Eight dead in military plane crash in Colombia
Updated March 23, 2026 – 8:59 p.mReading time: 1 min.
A military plane crashes in southern Colombia shortly after takeoff. There are dead and dozens injured. More than 120 people were on board.
At least eight people were killed when a military plane crashed in southern Colombia. In addition, at least 83 injuries were registered, including 14 in critical condition, said the regional governor, John Gabriel Molina Acosta, after a meeting of the crisis team.
The plane crashed a few minutes after taking off from the airport in Puerto Leguízamo in the Putumayo department near the border with Peru for reasons that are still unclear, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez announced.
There were 114 passengers and 11 crew members on board, said the commander of the Colombian Air Force, General Carlos Fernando Silva. This means that the fate of more than 30 inmates remains unclear. According to the governor, most of the inmates were military personnel and there were also some police officers on board.
Videos shared on social networks showed a large cloud of gray smoke and debris at the scene of the accident. Residents and security forces immediately set out to care for the injured, the radio station Bluradio reported.
