A Colombian Air Force (FAC) Hercules plane carrying dozens of soldiers crashed this Monday shortly after taking off from Puerto Leguízamo airport in the southern department of Putumayo, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez Suárez reported, without confirming the number of victims. The minister expressed his deepest condolences to the families of those affected and called for avoiding speculation until official information is available. Colombian President Gustavo Petro lamented the incident, expressing his hope that there are no fatalities in this horrific accident. Military units and rescue teams are at the scene, and protocols for assisting victims and their families, as well as an investigation into the causes of the disaster, have been activated. Local media reports that the aircraft was carrying around 110 soldiers. The C-130 Hercules is one of the most widely used military transport aircraft models in the world.