20 March 2023 , 09:27
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Four Colombian soldiers were killed after the helicopter carrying them crashed.
News of the tragedy was confirmed by President Gustavo Petro on Sunday after footage appeared on social media showing the helicopter falling out of the sky in Quibdó area in Chocó, in the west of the country.
The soldiers were in the area performing a supply run when the aircraft went down.
The president tweeted: "It is with sadness that I am sorry to report that there were no survivors in the plane crash in Quibdó."
"I accompany the families of the CT. Hector Jerez, TE. Julieth Garcia, SS. Johan Orozco and SS. Ruben Leguizamon in this painful moment. We will not leave them alone," he said in a translated tweet.
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This is the moment the armed forces helicopter fell out of the sky (twitter/BNO desk)Earlier, the president said: "A few minutes ago, an Army helicopter crashed in Quibdó while carrying out supply tasks."
"I have given the order to the authorities to move immediately to the area to deal with the emergency and investigate the causes of what happened."
In videos posted to social media on Sunday afternoon, the helicopter can be seen as it plummets through trees before hitting hard against the ground.
Titán Joint Task Force Commander Hector Alfonso Candelarion called the crash a "tragic accident".
The four service people killed in the crash (twitter/BNO desk)On hitting the ground, the aircraft was "totally incinerated", it was reported.
Immediately after the crash, two bodies were found before a search was conducted to track down the remains of the two other soldiers.
A photograph of one of the victims, Héctor Mauricio Jerez Ochoa, a pilot for the National Army, was shared by local outlet Vanguardia, with Julieth Garcia's picture being shared a few hours later.
Ms Garcia, who was skilled in advanced combat, skydiving and communication, was the first woman of her rank and size to fly a UH 1N helicopter.
Chocó Governor Farlin Perea Rentería said she was sending her support to "the relatives and friends of the members of the Colombian Army who were part of the supply work in the department."
She added she is "supporting the pertinent investigations into the event that occurred today in Quibdó".
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