Seven people lost their lives when a firefighting helicopter crashed in Argentina’s western San Juan province on Wednesday.
The Bell 412 aircraft was conducting training exercises before its scheduled departure to a neighbouring province to assist in battling prolonged wildfires when it went down in the Ischigualasto natural park. Communication with the base was lost at approximately 10:30am (1330 GMT) on Wednesday.
Governor Marcelo Orrego of San Juan confirmed the fatalities on the social media platform X, expressing “profound sorrow” over the accident. The victims were firefighters, police officers, and civil protection personnel.
The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, and emergency services confirmed that a rescue team has been deployed to the site.
Argentine Security Minister Alejandra Monteoliva also expressed her condolences to the families and colleagues of the deceased, saying that she stands with them in this moment of “profound grief”.
A local journalist, Mauricio Davila, who spoke with rescue teams at the scene, described the impact as catastrophic, saying the helicopter “shattered into a thousand pieces”.
Amongst the victims was police officer German Videla, who had been in contact with a friend and fellow journalist just an hour before the crash.
The local government of San Juan has declared three days of official mourning. During this period, both national and provincial flags will be flown at half mast.
The helicopter was preparing to support firefighting efforts in the neighbouring semi-arid region of La Rioja, which has been struggling with mountainous forest fires since the start of the week.
Local firefighters informed AFP that hundreds of hectares have been destroyed by the blazes in just three days.
