Seven killed in hlicopter crash during firefighting operations in Argentina

Buenos Aires: Seven people lost their lives on Thursday when a firefighting helicopter crashed in western Argentina.

Local authorities confirmed that among the victims were personnel from the fire brigade, police force, and civil defence units. The helicopter was en route to La Rioja province to assist in containing a forest fire at the time of the incident.

Authorities had lost contact with the aircraft earlier this morning. The downed helicopter, a Bell 412 model used for training purposes, went down while flying over the Ischigualasto Provincial Park area, located approximately 1,200 kilometres from the capital, Buenos Aires.