Buenos Aires, March 23 (NA) – A Colombian Air Force Hercules plane “suffered a tragic accident” while taking off from the terminal in Puerto Leguízamo, in the department of Putumayo (south), when it was transporting troops, reported Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez this Monday. The minister stated on his social media X account that “the exact number of victims or the causes of the disaster have not yet been determined.” According to the local press, there were about 110 soldiers on board the Hercules plane, of whom 20 injured military personnel have been rescued so far. The Colombian minister expressed his “sincere condolences to the families of those affected and, out of respect for their pain, I call for avoiding speculation until official information is available.” “It is a deeply painful event for the country. May our prayers accompany and, to some extent, alleviate the pain,” said Sánchez after mentioning that “all protocols for assisting the victims and their families, as well as the corresponding investigation, have been activated.” President Gustavo Petro, for his part, wrote on the same social network that he hopes there are no deaths “in this horrible accident that should not have happened.” “Against all odds, I modernized the strategic air fleet and have requested the immediate purchase of helicopters and cargo and troop transport aircraft to expand the capacity for troop transport and mobility in regions that were nearly depleted by the vetted Russian helicopters of today,” he expressed.
