Colombia plane crash: Horror as aircraft 'carrying 110 soldiers' erupts in fireball

A Hercules military aircraft reportedly carrying 110 Colombian soldiers crashed shortly after takeoff on Monday. Authorities confirmed that 20 people have been found so far following the incident in the Putumayo region of the country, as rescue teams remain in the area.

Shocking footage posted on social media shows an enormous cloud of dark grey smoke billowing into the sky as stunned onlookers rush over to the scene. Witnesses said the crash happened just minutes after takeoff, and the plane was believed to be travelling from Puerto Leguizamo to Puerto Asis.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, and the number of casualties is not currently known.

Colonel Zambrano of the Putumayo Police told El Tiempo that the injured were being taken to hospital. He said: "There are several injured; they are being evacuated to the health centre.

"That's all I have. It's an Air Force plane; minutes after taking off from the airport, it crashed."

"I express my deepest 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."

Defence Minister Pedro Sánchez said "all protocols" for helping those on board and their loved ones had been "activated" and expressed his "deepest condolences".

He wrote on X: "All protocols for assisting the victims and their families have been activated, as well as the corresponding investigation.