An air tragedy mourned Colombia this Sunday. A Army helicopter crashed while flying and caused the deaths of four soldiers who were aboard. The Colombian president, Gustavo Petro, has assured that there are no survivors of the accident recorded in Quibdó, in the west of the country.
The president sent a message of condolences to the families and regretted the death of the military Héctor Jerez Ochoa, pilot in command; Julieth Garcia Cordero, pilot; Johan Orozco Neira, foreman; and Rubén Leguizamón Perilla, flight engineer. “We won’t leave you alone,” Petro said in a Twitter message.
The president has ordered the authorities to go to Quibdó, the capital of the Chocó department, to deal with and investigate the causes of the emergency.
For his part, Colonel Héctor Candelario, commander of the Titan task force, specified that the uniform they would “carry food” to other soldiers “who carry out missions in the upper and lower Baudó”, where illegal armed groups have a strong presence. the helicopter was left “totally cremated”the officer added.
Candelario also said that some local residents have ensured that “two of the soldiers jumped out of the plane before it crashed against the ground.” Videos posted on social networks show the moment the helicopter spins before collapsing in the rural area of Quibdó.
The Army, which has addressed a message of solidarity to the families of soldiers who have lost their lives and has announced that it will give them support and accompaniment, specified in a statement that it was the Bell UH-1N aircraft, a multifunctional military aircraft of medium size helicopter. .
This type of aircraft has been used in Colombia for decades in counterinsurgency, aerial surveillance, rescue, evacuation, supply and fire operations.
Who were the soldiers killed by the helicopter crash?
Captain Jerez Ochoa, 32, was the pilot of the UH-1N with 13 years of service and had specialized training in the United States for this type of aircraft. He was from the Air Force, rotary wing pilot, professional in Military Sciences, logistics administrator and specialist in Military Sciences for Planning.
For his part, Lieutenant García Cordero, 31, became in 2020 the first woman in the Colombian military to fly a UH-1N. Originally from Cúcuta, Norte de Santander, she rose to the rank of second lieutenant in 2015.
Sergeant Orozco Neira, on the other hand, was 31 years old and from Barranquilla. He was married and had two children. He entered the NCO Military School in March 2008 and was promoted to the rank of third corporal in September 2009.
Finally, Senior Sergeant Leguizamón Perilla entered the Non-Commissioned Military School in 2009. A native of Bogotá, 35 years old, he was married and had a four-year-old son.
With information from agencies.
AND
Source: Clarin
Mary Ortiz is a seasoned journalist with a passion for world events. As a writer for News Rebeat, she brings a fresh perspective to the latest global happenings and provides in-depth coverage that offers a deeper understanding of the world around us.