Colombian Army's Mi-17 helicopter crashes, kills seven people

Bogota: At least seven people were dead on Tuesday after a Colombian Army helicopter crashed in the northwestern department of Antioquia, according to military.

The Colombian army announced in a statement that the Mi-17 helicopter, with 10 people on board, was carrying a mission around the town of Caucasia and crashed at 0940 hours on Tuesday.

A search is ongoing for the other three missing people.

The army indicated the helicopter was carrying four crew and six passengers.

The team was in charge of maintaining air force fuel supplies in the area and was carrying out inspections at supply points in the region.

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General Juan Carlos Ramirez Trujillo, commander of the Fourth Brigade, told local media that weather conditions at the crash site were complicating the search operation but that it would not stop until the three missing people were found.

Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos lamented the accident on Twitter, writing "What pain at the death of the crew and passengers of a military helicopter in Segovia, Antioquia. My heart goes out to the families of the victims. (They have) all my solidarity."

--Inputs from IANS