A Colombian Air Force plane has crashed in the south of the country, leaving at least eight people dead. Air force commander Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda stated that 114 army personnel and 11 crew members were on board. Rescue operations managed to pull 48 injured individuals from the wreckage to seek medical assistance.

Regional governor Jhon Gabriel Molina confirmed the fatalities and reported over 80 injured after the crash on Monday. The C-130 Hercules, a military transport aircraft manufactured in the US, went down near Puerto Leguízamo in Putumayo province. Emergency workers have been deployed to search through the scattered debris for survivors.

Colombian Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez described the incident as deeply sad for the country. Images from the crash site displayed thick smoke and soldiers on-site coordinating rescue operations.

Local news footage showed residents aiding the transportation of injured soldiers to hospitals using motorcycles. President Gustavo Petro expressed condolences via social media, lamenting the “horrendous accident” and questioning the bureaucratic delays in the modernization of military aircraft, emphasizing the loss of young lives at stake.

The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, and this tragedy follows a similar incident in Bolivia just last month, in which a military plane crashed, resulting in multiple fatalities.}