Bogota Colombia — A military cargo plane crashed shortly after takeoff Monday in the Southwest ColombiaThe country’s defense minister said, causing an undetermined number of casualties.
Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Twitter that the “tragic accident” occurred in Puerto Leguizamo, a remote municipality in the Amazonian province of Putumayo, which is on the border with Peru and Ecuador. Images shared online by local media outlets showed a black cloud of smoke rising from the area where the plane crashed, and a truck with soldiers rushing to the scene.
Sanchez did not specify the number of troops aboard the Hercules C-130. He said rescue teams have been dispatched to the accident site and the cause of the accident has still not been determined.
“This incident is extremely painful for the country,” Sanchez wrote. “We hope our prayers can help provide some relief from the pain.”
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