A C-130 military plane crashed in Colombia, killing 66 people.
pixabay.com
On Monday, March 23, a Lockheed C-130 Hercules transport plane crashed during takeoff in Colombia . The disaster killed 66 people.
Reuters reports this.
The accident occurred near the city of Puerto Leguizamo , located on the border with Peru . According to preliminary reports, the plane struck the end of the runway during takeoff, after which its wing struck a tree. The plane caught fire during the crash, and an explosion was reported on board.
Local residents were the first to come to the rescue, pulling survivors from the wreckage. Military personnel subsequently arrived at the crash site, but the difficult terrain hampered rescue efforts.
According to the commander in chief of the Colombian armed forces , Hugo Alejandro Lopez , there were 128 people on board: 11 air force personnel, 115 ground troops and two police officers.
Fifty-seven people survived and were hospitalized. Of these, 30 are in mild condition at a military clinic.
Lockheed Martin said it was ready to assist in the investigation into the causes of the crash.
C-130 Hercules aircraft have been in service since the 1950s, and Colombia has been using them since the late 1960s. In recent years, the country has received modernized versions of these aircraft from the United States .
In late February, another C-130 aircraft belonging to the Bolivian Air Force crashed in the city of El Alto , killing more than 20 people and injuring about 30 more.
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