Seven Die in San Juan Helicopter Crash; Officials Among Victims

A helicopter crash in San Juan, Argentina, claimed the lives of all seven occupants on Wednesday. The provincial governor, Marcelo Orrego, confirmed the tragic incident, identifying four of the deceased as senior provincial officials.

Among the victims were Carlos Heredia, director of Civil Protection; Germán Videla, deputy chief of the San Juan Police; Rubén Castro, chief of Firefighters; and Jorge Carbajal, second chief of Firefighters. Governor Orrego expressed his condolences, honoring the officials as "public servants who dedicated their lives to the care of the people of San Juan."

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Public servants who dedicated their lives to the care of the people of San Juan and with whom I have had the honor of working side by side in different situations.

The helicopter was carrying the officials and two firefighters from the Federal Emergencies Agency (AFE) to a training course on combating fires. The aircraft went down in the Provincial Park Ischigualasto. The pilot, Matías Valenzuela, also perished in the crash.

Governor Orrego stated that the San Juan government is providing support to the families of the victims and is cooperating with relevant agencies to offer necessary assistance during this period of immense grief.

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I want to express my most sincere condolences to the families of all the victims in this moment of immense pain. We accompany each of their loved ones. The Government of San Juan makes itself available to the affected families and works together with the corresponding organizations to provide all the necessary assistance.