Bogotá, Colombia — President Gustavo Petro on Tuesday declared three days of nationwide mourning in Colombia following a army airplane crash on Monday which killed 69 troopers.
The accident occurred on the Puerto Leguízamo airport in Putumayo, a area positioned within the southwest of the nation, involving a C-130 Hercules plane usually used to move troops and humanitarian support to distant areas.
Based on the most recent official reviews, at the very least 69 troopers and crew members have been killed within the catastrophe. The army transport airplane, belonging to the Colombian Aerospace Power (FAC), was carrying over 120 folks when it smashed onto the grounds of a close-by farm simply after takeoff.
In the course of the interval of nationwide mourning, Petro confirmed that flags will fly at half-mast and army honors will probably be given to the victims of the tragedy and their households.
Many households are grieving the lack of their kids, however one household particularly mourns the lack of two: brothers Santiago and Daniel Esteban Arias. Initially from Puerto Libertador, within the Caribbean division of Córdoba.
Monday’s crash is without doubt one of the worst aviation tragedies within the nation’s latest historical past. In 2016, a airplane carrying gamers from Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer group crashed into the mountains exterior Medellín, killing over 70 folks.
In Puerto Leguízamo, survivors of the army airplane crash have been transferred to specialised medical facilities throughout the nation.
Authorities are investigating the causes of the accident however have dismissed preliminary claims of an assault by guerrilla forces energetic within the area.
The Mayor of Puerto Leguízamo, Luis Emilio Bustos Morales, instructed native media, together with Blu Radio and Noticias RCN, that “they’ve many hypotheses.”
He famous that amongst them, “there may be speak that they have been carrying an excessive amount of weight” or “that the runway was too quick for them.”
In the course of the emergency, residents used their very own bikes to evacuate the survivors earlier than official assist arrived; a few of them have been additionally injured by ammunition exploding within the flames.
The medical middle generally known as ‘Hospital Militar Central’, positioned within the capital Bogotá, confirmed {that a} native rescue employee is amongst these being handled there.
President Petro expressed his gratitude by his X account, stating that “that is how a nation is constructed.” He thanked the native residents who rushed to save lots of the survivors. He additionally highlighted the troopers who ran to save lots of others through the catastrophe, calling their actions a “lovely proof of affection and solidarity.”
The painful moments have been detailed by soldier Mauro Peñaranda, who survived and described the scene because the plane went right down to native media shops: “It was leaning to 1 facet, and there was a bizarre noise (…) the airplane was creaking,” he instructed RTVC. Mauro additionally acknowledged that they didn’t obtain clear directions from the cockpit through the state of affairs.
“I actually don’t even know the way I bought out of there… I simply jumped and bought out,” he mentioned.
The governments of Ecuador, Panama, France, and the USA, amongst others, additionally provided their condolences to the Colombian army forces and the victims’ households.
Featured picture: Picture of Colombian army airplane crash web site in Puerto Leguízamo on March 23, 2026.
This text initially appeared on The Bogotá Post and was republished with permission.
