May 09, 2026 12:28 pm (IST)
Follow us:
facebook-white sharing button
twitter-white sharing button
instagram-white sharing button
youtube-white sharing button
Cloud over Tamil Nadu government formation as Governor asks Vijay to prove majority | 1 Year of Operation Sindoor: PM Modi says it showed India’s firm response to terror | ‘Larger conspiracy ahead of PM Modi’s visit’: BJP on killing of Suvendu Adhikari’s aide | ‘My car was on OLX for sale’: Siliguri owner says number plate used in Suvendu aide assassination may have been cloned online | ‘Pre-planned political assassination’: BJP’s Swapan Dasgupta on Suvendu aide’s killing | BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari's personal secretary shot dead in West Bengal's Madhyamgram | Mamata Banerjee to move Supreme Court against Bengal post-poll violence, refuses to quit | Who after Mamata in Bengal? Amit Shah to meet BJP MLA-elects ahead of May 9 oath | Vijay’s TVK seeks Congress, Left support after falling short of majority in Tamil Nadu | Jolt to TMC! Supreme Court rejects plea challenging central staff deployment at Bengal counting centres
Colombia military plane crashes near Puerto Leguizamo. Photo: X/Videograb.

Colombian Air Force plane crashes on takeoff near Puerto Leguizamo, casualties feared

| @indiablooms | Mar 23, 2026, at 10:43 pm

A military transport aircraft belonging to the Colombian Air Force crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday, raising fears of significant casualties, media reports said.

Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed “deep sorrow” as he confirmed that a Hercules aircraft went down near Puerto Leguizamo, close to the country’s southern border with Ecuador.

State broadcaster RCN aired visuals showing a severely damaged fuselage engulfed in flames in a forested area.

The Hercules transport plane is typically capable of carrying around 100 personnel, fuelling concerns over the scale of the tragedy.

“Military units are already at the scene. However, the number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been confirmed,” Sanchez said in a statement posted on social media.

Calling it “a deeply painful event for the country,” the minister added, “May our prayers bring some measure of comfort.”

Authorities have launched an investigation into the cause of the crash, while rescue and recovery efforts remain underway.

Support Our Journalism

We cannot do without you.. your contribution supports unbiased journalism

IBNS is not driven by any ism- not wokeism, not racism, not skewed secularism, not hyper right-wing or left liberal ideals, nor by any hardline religious beliefs or hyper nationalism. We want to serve you good old objective news, as they are. We do not judge or preach. We let people decide for themselves. We only try to present factual and well-sourced news.

Support objective journalism for a small contribution.