By Frank Kamuntu
At least eight soldiers have died in a helicopter crash in the municipality of Cumaribo near the border with Venezuela.
In a statement on X, President Gustavo Petro said the helicopter transporting soldiers on a humanitarian mission crashed on Sunday, September 29.
The president offered “a hug of solidarity” for the bereaved families as the country mourns the deceased in the tragedy.
“I regret to report the death of 8 members of the @FuerzaAereaCol who were travelling on a humanitarian mission in the department of Vichada, their helicopter crashed to the ground. A hug of solidarity to their families in the midst of this news that has brought mourning to the country,” said President Petro.
Images distributed by Colombian media showed the burnt wreckage of the aircraft in the middle of a grassland.
Earlier, the Colombian Air Force said that the Huey II helicopter, with registration number FAC-4441, had lost contact while on a medical mission leading search and rescue operations.
The Air Force said the crew’s families were receiving support while a recovery mission was underway.
Authorities’ preliminary investigations indicate that bad weather may be the primary cause of the crash.
5 people killed in North Carolina plane crash
Elsewhere, on the evening of Saturday, September 29, all five passengers aboard a Cirrus SR22 plane lost their lives when their aircraft crashed near First Flight Airport, adjacent to the Wright Brothers National Memorial in North Carolina.
The National Transportation Safety Board reported that the deceased included a child and four adults.
Video and images from the scene revealed a heap of mangled metal and shattered glass.
Both the FAA and the NTSB are investigating the crash, and the identities of the victims have yet to be disclosed.
In other news, a light aircraft, Cessna Cessna 152, registration number 5Y-PSJ/15283169, operated by West Rift Aviation, crashed into the Nairobi National Park.
The aviation school confirmed the aircraft had two people, a student and a pilot, on board, who survived with minor injuries.
The institution added that the incident was under investigation.
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