Seven people died on Wednesday when a Bell 412 firefighting helicopter crashed in San Juan province, western Argentina, during a transit flight to help contain a wildfire in neighbouring La Rioja.
The aircraft went down in Ischigualasto provincial park, with the last radio contact recorded at 10:26 local time. Among the dead were Civil Protection director Carlos Heredia, provincial police deputy chief Germán Videla, two fire-service police commanders, pilot Matías Valenzuela and two Federal Emergency Agency brigadistas. The helicopter had been chartered by the agency to support wildfire operations.
Initial reports indicated the flight was part of firefighting training organised by the Argentine fire service, while other accounts described it as a direct deployment to the La Rioja blaze. Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash; the wreckage lies in difficult-to-access terrain.