Rescue efforts continue in rugged terrain near Inzá, Cauca, where difficult weather conditions have delayed the evacuation of 13 Army personnel following the October 19 helicopter crash.
INZA – Thirteen Colombian Army soldiers remain stranded near the site of a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crash in the mountainous municipality of Inzá, Cauca, on Wednesday, October 21, as difficult terrain and adverse weather have complicated rescue efforts.
The soldiers are spending a third day in a remote mountainous region after the aircraft, identified as Black Hawk 2175, crashed on October 19 while carrying out a military supply and troop transport mission.
Although all personnel aboard survived, several sustained injuries, including fractures. Two of the most seriously injured soldiers were transferred to Bogotá’s Military Hospital for immediate medical attention, while the remaining personnel await evacuation from the difficult-to-access area.
The National Army has rejected suggestions that the soldiers have been abandoned, saying that a rescue plan is underway and that the delay reflects the challenging geographical and climatic conditions confronting the operation.
The incident has also drawn attention to the security situation in this part of Cauca, where dissident factions of the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), including groups associated with alias ‘Iván Mordisco’, maintain a presence.
The Army confirmed Wednesday that the crash was not caused by an attack or an assault by illegal armed groups. Nevertheless, the reported presence of armed dissidents adds a security consideration to operations in the region, although no direct connection between those groups and the evacuation delay has been established.
The immediate priority remains reaching the 13 soldiers, assessing their condition and bringing them to safety. As the operation continues, the central question is how quickly rescue teams can overcome the combined challenges of steep mountain terrain, adverse weather and limited access to the crash site.