Colombian military plane involved in accident had 110 soldiers onboard, media reports

BOGOTA - Colombia's defence ministry said on March 23 a Lockheed Martin Hercules C-130 plane was involved in accident in the south of the country, with local outlet BluRadio reporting that 110 soldiers were traveling on board. Defence Minister Pedro Sanchez said the accident happened as the plane was taking off from Puerto Leguizamo, deep in Colombia's southern Amazon region on the border with Peru, as it transported troops from the armed forces. "The exact number of victims and the causes of the crash have not yet been determined," he said. BluRadio cited the authorities as saying 110 soldiers were on board, and that the crash took place just 3km from an urban centre. US defence company Lockheed Martin did not immediately respond to a request for comment. At the end of February, another Hercules C-130 belonging to the Bolivian Air Force crashed in the populous city of Alto, barely missing a residential block. More than 20 people died and another 30 were injured, and banknotes from the plane's cargo scattered around the city, prompting clashes between residents and security forces. REUTERS