BOGOTA, March 24 (Xinhua) -- The death toll from a military aircraft crash in southern Colombia's Putumayo region on Monday has risen to 68, local authorities said Tuesday.

People stand around a military cargo plane that crashed after taking off from Puerto Leguizamo, Colombia, a remote municipality in the Amazonian province of Putumayo, March 23, 2026. (Photo: AP)

Puerto Leguizamo Mayor Luis Bustos said the C-130 Hercules transport plane of the Colombian Aerospace Force, with 128 people on board, crashed shortly after takeoff en route from Puerto Leguizamo to Puerto Asis.

He added that residents helped rescue several survivors, which helped prevent a higher death toll.

Colombian President Gustavo Petro said the aircraft had been in service for more than 40 years and was received from the United States during the administration of former Colombian President Ivan Duque, who served from 2018 to 2022.

Authorities said an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.