A Colombian military transport plane with mostly soldiers on board came down shortly after takeoff on Monday

At least 66 people were killed after a Colombian military Hercules C-130 transport plane crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday in the southern province of Putumayo. Many others were injured, while rescue and evacuation operations continued into the night.

The aircraft went down near Puerto Leguizamo, a remote Amazonian municipality near the borders with Peru and Ecuador, within a few kilometers of the airport after reporting trouble soon after departure.

The Colombian armed forces and local officials gave varying figures for the number of people on board as the emergency response unfolded, with reports putting the total at between 121 and 128 passengers and crew. Colombia’s air force said those killed included six airmen, 58 members of the National Army, and two National Police officers.

Así ocurrió el accidente del avión Hércules de la @FuerzaAereaCol que transportaba cerca de 120 militares. Había acabado de despegar del aeropuerto en Puerto Leguízamo, Putumayo, y claramente se ve que la aeronave no pudo ganar la altitud necesaria.

La investigación determinara… pic.twitter.com/fj4RY7a1rv

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Source: RT - Daily news