Bogotá, Colombia — President Gustavo Petro declared three days of national mourning in Colombia after a military plane crashed on Monday, killing 69 soldiers.
The incident occurred at Puerto Leguízamo airport in the Putumayo region and involved a C-130 Hercules aircraft normally used to transport military and humanitarian aid to remote areas.
At least 69 soldiers and crew members were killed in the disaster, according to the latest official report. A military transport plane belonging to the Aerospace Forces of Colombia (FAC) crashed into a nearby farm site shortly after takeoff with about 120 people on board.
During the national mourning period, Petro confirmed that flags would be flown at half-mast and military honors would be awarded to the victims of the tragedy and their families.
While many families are grieving the loss of a child, one family in particular is mourning the deaths of two brothers, Santiago Arias and Daniel Esteban Arias. Originally from Puerto Libertador in the Caribbean region of Córdoba.
Monday’s crash is one of the worst aviation tragedies in recent U.S. history. In 2016, a plane carrying players from Brazil’s Chapecoense soccer team crashed into a mountain outside Medellin, killing more than 70 people.
In Puerto Leguízamo, survivors of a military plane crash were transferred to specialized medical centers across the country.
Authorities are investigating the cause of the accident but have dismissed preliminary claims of an attack by guerrilla forces operating in the area.
“They have a lot of hypotheses,” Puerto Leguízamo mayor Luis Emilio Bustos Morales told local media, including Blu Radio and Noticias RCN.
He pointed out that among them, “some say they are carrying too much weight” and “some say the runway is too short.”
During the emergency, residents used their motorcycles to evacuate survivors before government support arrived. Some of them were injured by ammunition exploding in the flames.
A medical center known as the Military Central Hospital, located in the capital Bogota, confirmed that local rescue workers were among those receiving treatment there.
Chairman Petro expressed his gratitude through his X account, saying, “This is how a nation is created.” He expressed gratitude to local residents who rushed to rescue the survivors. He also highlighted the soldiers who rushed to save others during the disaster, calling their actions “a beautiful testament to love and solidarity.”
The painful moments were described in detail by surviving soldier Mauro Peñaranda, who described the scene as the aircraft crashed to local media outlets: “The plane tilted to one side and I heard a strange noise (…) I heard the plane squeak,” he told RTVC. Mauro also said he did not receive clear instructions from the cockpit during the situation.
“Honestly, I don’t even know how I got out of there… I just jumped out,” he said.
The governments of Ecuador, Panama, France and the United States also expressed condolences to Colombian troops and the families of the victims.
Featured image: Photo of the Colombian military plane crash site in Puerto Leguizamo, March 23, 2026.
This article originally appeared on The Bogotá Post and is republished with permission.
