The Peruvian Air Force confirmed at a press conference on the 23rd that a helicopter had crashed in the Arequipa region in southern Peru, with all 15 people on board killed.
According to the Peruvian Air Force's Operations Commander, Lombarte, a Mi-17 helicopter lost contact after taking off on the 22nd. The Peruvian government immediately launched a search and rescue operation, and on the 23rd, the helicopter was found in the Chala area of Arequipa. All 15 people on board had died.
It was found that the 15 victims included 4 crew members and 11 passengers, among whom were 7 children. At the time of the incident, the helicopter was carrying out a rescue mission, providing support to disaster-affected residents in Arequipa, and was also planned to undertake a parachute training support task.
The authorities stated that the crashed helicopter had undergone maintenance in November 2024 and had accumulated around 288 flight hours. Each helicopter undergoes rigorous technical inspections before being put into operation, and is maintained by professional aviation technicians.
The Peruvian Air Force has set up an accident investigation committee to determine the cause of the accident.
Recently, many areas in Arequipa have experienced floods and landslides due to heavy rainfall, damaging homes and infrastructure and affecting large numbers of residents.