Thaindian News

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA (BNO NEWS) — A Colombian Air Force helicopter crashed in the northern region of the country on late Monday afternoon, killing all thirteen people on board, defense officials said on Tuesday. The cause was not immediately known.

The accident happened at around 4:30 p.m. local time when the Bell 212 helicopter, which was assigned to Air Combat Command Number 3, crashed into a horse stable at the ‘Buenavista’ ranch in Sabanagrande, a town in Colombia’s Atlantico department.

The aircraft was carrying out a transport mission linked to the planning and development of a Nudo Paramillo Task Force operation and was flying from the industrial port city of Barranquilla to Caucasia in Antioquia department, an air force spokesperson said in a statement.

Officials said the aircraft was being flown by Major Jorge Abel Cardona, who died in the accident. Six other Air Force service members and six police officers were also killed, bringing the total death toll to thirteen. There were no survivors, and there were no reports of casualties on the ground. It was not known if horses died in the accident.

“The Air Force has sent a team to the scene to carry out the investigation and determine the causes of the accident,” the Air Force spokesperson said, giving no other details. Some Colombian media reports said the aircraft may have been on fire before it went down.

In March 2011, five people were killed and four others were injured when two UH-1H helicopters, belonging to Colombia’s Air Force Helicopter School, crashed during a training operation in Melgar, which is located around 72 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of Bogota. Among those killed was a Mexican officer who was participating in the training operation.