A Colombian Air Force plane crashed shortly after takeoff in the south of the country, leaving at least 66 people dead and dozens injured, officials have said.

Air force commander Carlos Fernando Silva Rueda said 114 army personnel were on board, as well as 11 crew.

The plane, a US-made C-130 Hercules used for transporting troops, came down near the town of Puerto Leguízamo, in Putumayo province.

Emergency workers sent to the area were seen searching through the wreckage for survivors. The cause of the crash was being investigated