TEHRAN, September 30 (MNA) – Eight people were killed after a Colombian Air Force helicopter crashed Sunday morning during a humanitarian mission in the eastern department of Vichada, said President Gustavo Petro.Petro offered "a hug of solidarity" for the bereaved families as the country mourns the deceased in the tragedy, Xinhua reported, citing the president's social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Earlier, the Colombian Air Force said that the Huey II helicopter, with registration number FAC-4441, had lost contact while on a medical mission.

Search and rescue operations were immediately launched after the crash.

Local media reported that the victims included several officers and technicians.

Preliminary investigations show that bad weather could be the primary cause of the crash.

AMK/PR