AT LEAST 66 people are dead after a military transport plane plunged into dense jungle in Colombia.
The doomed Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules was packed with 125 people, including soldiers, when it went down just moments after take-off in the border region with Peru.
Chilling footage appears to show the huge military plane climbing into the sky before suddenly losing height and sinking back towards the jungle canopy.
Colombia’s armed forces chief confirmed the death toll, with fears it could rise further as rescuers battle through thick rainforest to reach the wreckage.
A spokesperson from the Colombian defence ministry said officials are still investigating the final number of fatalities.
Air force commander Fernando Silva said the aircraft was carrying 114 passengers and 11 crew when disaster struck.
The crash happened as the plane was taking off from an airport near the town of Puerto Leguízamo.
Witnesses cited by Colombia’s Blu Radio said that the Hercules managed to leave the tarmac, but due to technical failures it was only in the air for a very short time before plummeting to the ground.
The smash happened just two miles from a busy urban centre, according to local reports.
The cause remains unclear, with investigators racing to piece together what went wrong.
A desperate search and rescue operation is currently ongoing for those still missing.
Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said that the exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined.
“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,” he wrote on X.
“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.
Sanchez described the incident as “a tragic accident”, adding: “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.”
President Gustavo Petro hit out in the aftermath — blaming delays to military upgrades.
He said: “I will grant no further delays; it is the lives of our young people that are at stake.
“If civilian or military administrative officials are not up to this challenge, they must be removed.”
The Lockheed Martin C-130 Hercules was first launched in the 1950s and is used by militaries across the world.
Colombia acquired its first models in the late 1960s.