At least six soldiers have died this Sunday after the crash of an Army plane in the Mexican state of Veracruz.
The Armed Forces have confirmed the deaths in a statement, although they have said that the causes of the event are still being investigated, after the first images revealed that the device ended up devastated by fire after crashing.
"We send our most sincere condolences to all his relatives, wishing them a speedy recovery and peace," lamented Luis Cresencio Sandoval, the Secretary of Defense, on his Twitter account.
The crash of the aircraft occurred around 9.45 am in Emiliano Zapata, a municipality of just over 60,000 inhabitants in the central region of Veracruz, which borders the Gulf of Mexico.
The Learjet 45 plane with registration number 3912 was based in Mexico City and crashed shortly after taking off from El Lencero airport, which serves Xalapa, the state capital.
The first versions suggest that the device went off the track and caught fire almost immediately.
"The corresponding expert opinions will be carried out to determine the possible causes that originated the event," reads the bulletin of the Ministry of National Defense.
The Learjet 45 is a small aircraft, manufactured by the Canadian firm Bombardier.
It was an aircraft of the same type in which Juan Camilo Mouriño, Secretary of the Interior (interior) during the Government of Felipe Calderón, suffered an accident in which he lost his life in 2008. On that occasion the crash occurred in the financial center of Mexico City and 12 other people died.
"The personnel of generals, chiefs, officers and troops that make up the Armed Institute express our deepest condolences to the families of our comrades in arms who unfortunately lost their lives in the line of duty," added the military authorities.
The Armed Forces have promised to take care of the bereaved and offer them accompaniment.
Sandoval is recovering after being infected with covid-19.
The scene of the events has witnessed a deployment of airport agents and personnel, according to local media.
"At this moment, task forces from the three levels of government are attending to the incident," state authorities have reported.
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