Military plane 'carrying 110 soldiers' involved in accident in Colombia

A military transport plane carrying 110 soldiers has been involved in an "accident" in Colombia, local media have reported.

The country's defence minister Pedro Anulfo Sanchez said on Monday the Lockheed Martin Hercules ‌C-130 plane had "suffered a tragic accident".

Local media outlet BluRadio reported that 110 soldiers were ​on board at the time and Mr Sanchez said he hoped the prayers of Colombians would help alleviate the "pain" of the families of the victims.

It is not known how many people have been killed or injured.

The aircraft was taking off from an airport deep in Colombia's southern Amazon region, on the border with Peru, when BluRadio said it was involved in a crash about 3km (2 miles) from an urban center.

Mr Sanchez said, in a translated X post: "With deep sorrow, I report that a Hercules aircraft from our [Colombian Aerospace Force] suffered a tragic accident while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo (Putumayo), while transporting troops from our Public Force.

"Military units are already at the scene; however, the number of victims and the causes of the accident have not yet been precisely determined.

"All protocols for assisting the victims and their families have been activated, as well as the corresponding investigation. I express my sincerest condolences to the families of those affected and, out of respect for their grief, I urge everyone to avoid speculation until official information is available.

"This is a profoundly painful event for the country."

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