The eight people traveling in the military helicopter that crashed on Friday in the Amazon of Ecuador were found dead, as announced in a statement from the Ecuadorian army.
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The fatalities include five soldiers and three civilians, officials of the Risk Management Secretariat (SGR) of the Ecuadorian government, who were transporting humanitarian aid to sectors of the Amazon province of Pastaza affected by flooding due to rising rivers.
The victims were identified as Major Andrés Sierra, who piloted the plane; Lieutenant Jaime Cordones, who served as co-pilot; Sergeant Leonardo Gutiérrez, who had the role of flight engineer, and corporals Cristian Morales and Édgar Montesdeoca, who were mechanics.
In addition to the crew, they also traveled in the helicopter Katya Aragon, Diego Ima and Erik Reyes carrying out the activities of the SGR.
In its statement, the Ecuadorian army specified that the rescue of the bodies will take place this Saturday due to the weather conditions that occurred this Friday.
The helicopter, a Mi-171E with registration AAE-485, crashed at 9:36 a.m. local time (2:36 p.m. GMT) in the Tiwino sector, Pastaza province, and the remains could not be located until almost 5 p.m. later on.
The helicopter complied with the Shell-Tiwino-Tababoro route and a search was conducted for the location in which two light helicopters participated.
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The Ecuadorian military has ordered the immediate establishment of an accident investigation commission to determine the causes of this accident.
“We soldiers stand in solidarity with the families of our five brave soldiers who served their country. with total dedication and professionalismdespite the risks inherent in the military profession, and three exemplary Ecuadorian citizens,” said the military institution, which promised to provide the necessary assistance.
Source: El heraldo
Karen Clayton is a seasoned journalist and author at The Nation Update, with a focus on world news and current events. She has a background in international relations, which gives her a deep understanding of the political, economic and social factors that shape the global landscape. She writes about a wide range of topics, including conflicts, political upheavals, and economic trends, as well as humanitarian crisis and human rights issues.
