Published on : Monday, May 27, 2019
The MI-17 helicopter, which took off from Valle Verde in the neighboring state of San Luis Potosi, was carrying a helibucket with 2,500 liters of water to fight a fire, the navy said.
The crash occurred in a remote, hilly area of the north-central state of Queretaro on Friday.
Difficulties accessing the accident site meant authorities were not able to confirm the deaths until Saturday.
“We are going to express our condolences to the relatives of the sailors and the public servant of the Forestry Commission who lost their lives,” Lopez Obrador said at a public ceremony, as he read out their names.
Due to low rainfall and high temperatures, Central Mexico has suffered hundreds of wildfires in recent months. Further, a lack of wind and rain have prevented the smoke from dissipating.
This has caused the air quality of the capital Mexico City to worsen to such an extent that authorities last week declared an environmental alert and warned residents to avoid physical activity outdoors.
Tags: Mexican Navy helicopter