El Salvador police chief among nine dead in helicopter crash

SAN SALVADOR, Sept. 9 (Xinhua) — A Salvadoran Air Force helicopter crashed Sunday night, killing nine people, including National Civil Police Director Mauricio Arriaza Chicas, El Salvador President Nayib Bukele said Monday.

Bukele said in a statement on social media platform X that the helicopter crashed during a mission near the border between El Salvador and Honduras in the province of La Union.

Among the nine victims were the chief of the national police, other police officers, crew members, a journalist and a suspect.

On board the helicopter was Manuel Coto, a former bank executive accused of involvement in the embezzlement of $35 million from a credit union in El Salvador, local media reported.

Bukele declared three days of national mourning.

He said the incident was not a mere “accident” and called for a thorough investigation into the cause, promising that those responsible would be held accountable. Bukele added that El Salvador would seek international support in the investigation.