News / Colombia

Military helicopter crash kills leaves 17 dead in Colombia

Tuesday, 28 June 2016 4:08 AM [ Last Update: Tuesday, 28 June 2016 4:08 AM ]

This file photo taken on October 15, 2015 shows a Colombian Army MI-17 helicopter preparing to fly over Zaragoza municipality, Antioquia Department, Colombia. ©AFP

At least 17 military personnel have been killed in Colombia after an army helicopter crashed apparently due to “bad weather.”

The MI-17 military helicopter went down in Caldas Department on Sunday while it was travelling from the western department of Choco to the central Tolemaida military base, officials said.

The army confirmed the death toll on Monday, saying rescuers “are carrying out procedures to remove the bodies of our military personnel from the scene of the accident.”

“The first assessments indicate that the accident could have been linked to the bad weather in the area, but experts will confirm or refute that assumption,” said an army statement.

President Juan Manuel Santos also expressed regret over the fatal incident.

The victims were providing support for operations against the leftist insurgent group known as the National Liberation Army (ELN), according to the president.

In August, 16 police officers were killed as the UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter crashed due to a mechanical failure during an anti-drug operation in the northeast of the country.

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