El Salvador police chief dies among 9 killed in helicopter crash

A Salvadoran Air Force helicopter crashed on Sunday evening, killing nine people, including National Civil Police Director Mauricio Arriaza Chicas, El Salvador's President Nayib Bukele said on Monday, reported Xinhua.

Bukele said in a statement on social media platform X that the helicopter went down in La Union Province while on a mission near the El Salvador-Honduras border.

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

Aboard the helicopter was Manuel Coto, a former bank director, who had been accused of involvement in the embezzlement of 35 million U.S. dollars from a credit union in El Salvador, local media reported.

Bukele declared a three-day national mourning period.

He said the incident was not merely an "accident" and called for a thorough investigation into the cause, pledging that those responsible would be held accountable. Bukele added that El Salvador would seek international assistance in the investigation.