Bogota, March 23 (QNA) - Colombian authorities reported on Monday that a military transport aircraft crashed while taking off, carrying 80 soldiers.

Military sources indicated that personnel from two battalions were believed to be aboard the C-130 Hercules that went down near Puerto Leguizamo in the southwest of the country, close to the border with Ecuador.

The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. Colombia's official broadcasting agency released images showing the aircraft's heavily damaged and burning fuselage.

Colombia's Defense Minister Pedro Sanchez expressed "deep sorrow" over the incident. He added that military units are at the crash site, and that the number of casualties and the cause of the accident have not been confirmed.

This marks the second C-130 Hercules crash in South America in less than a month. On February 27, a Bolivian military cargo plane carrying banknotes crashed near La Paz, killing at least 24 people. (QNA)