Colombian Air Force Hercules plane crashes in Putumayo with troops on board.

A Colombian Air Force Hercules plane suffered a serious accident on Tuesday while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo, in the department of Putumayo, in the south of the country, when it was transporting troops of the Public Force, according to the Minister of Defence, Pedro Arnulfo Sanchez.

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“It is with deep sorrow that I report that a Hercules aircraft of our Air Force suffered a tragic accident while taking off from Puerto Leguízamo (Putumayo), when it was transporting troops of our Public Force,” the minister said in a message posted on social networks. He added that military units are already in the area of the accident, although “the number of possible victims and the causes of the accident have not yet been precisely determined”.

Sánchez said that “all the care protocols for the victims and their families have been activated, as well as the corresponding investigation”, and called for caution while the investigations continue. “In respect for their pain, I call on you to avoid speculation until we have official information,” he said, describing the accident as “a deeply painful event for the country”.

News in progress.