The remains of the helicopter were found in the Vichada savanna / Photo: Unión Radio
A Colombian Air Force (FAC) helicopter crashed this Sunday while carrying out a humanitarian mission in the department of Vichada, in the east of the country, killing its eight crew members.
“I regret to report the death of eight members of the @FuerzaAereaCol who were traveling on a humanitarian mission in the department of Vichada, their helicopter crashed to the ground,” the Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, announced on his X account.
Previously, the Air Force had reported that it was searching for the helicopter, a Huey II with registration FAC-4441, “after losing communication with the crew and that it was carrying out an aeromedical evacuation mission” in the Cumaribo area, in Vichada, department bordering Venezuela.
“Search and rescue protocols were immediately activated to find the location of the helicopter and its crew in the area,” the FAC added in a statement.
More details of the incident
According to local media, the remains of the helicopter were found in the immense savannahs of Vichada, near the hamlet of Santa Teresita del Tuparro.
This is the third fatal accident involving a Colombian military helicopter this year.
On February 5, an Army UH-60 Black Hawk crashed in the Darién area, on the border with Panama, an accident that left four dead and three injured.
Cargo transported
On that occasion, the aircraft was transporting cargo to the Cuti Binational Military Base, Unguía, in the department of Chocó.
On April 29, nine soldiers died when another helicopter, an Army MI-17, crashed in the Caribbean department of Bolívar while supplying troops in an operation against the Clan del Golfo criminal gang.
Bogotá / EFE
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2024-10-02 07:06:37
