According to media reports, significantly more people died when a military plane crashed in southern Colombia than previously known.
March 24, 2026, 05:46March 24, 2026, 05:46
Several local media outlets reported at least 66 deaths, citing authorities. Dozens of injured people were taken to various hospitals, it was said.
An ambulance transports victims of the plane crash to the hospital.Image: keystone
There was initially no public statement from the authorities on the new number of victims. The regional governor, John Gabriel Molina Acosta, had previously spoken of eight deaths.
According to consistent media reports, more than 120 people were on board the plane. In addition to military personnel, there are also said to have been police officers among the inmates. 58 of the fatalities belonged to the National Army, six to the Colombian Air Force and two to the National Police, the newspaper “El Tiempo” reported, among others.
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. (sda/dpa)