A military helicopter carrying on board Bolivian President Evo Morales suffered a mishap when he took off in a mining town in the Andes and all its occupants were unharmed, the Air Force and local media reported.
“On Monday, November 4 at 12.48 GMT (16.48 GMT), the EC-145 aircraft with registration FAB 007 that was to transfer the president, Evo Morales, on the Colquiri-Oruro route, presented a mechanical failure of the tail engine during takeoff , which is why he made an emergency landing, no personal injuries were recorded,” the Air Force said in a brief statement.
The incident occurred about 200 kilometers southeast of La Paz, after the inauguration of a highway, and Morales returned by land to his office, where according to local media he met in the afternoon with a delegation from the Public University of El Alto.
From La Paz, the president reported the incident on his Twitter account, thanking God, the Pachamama (Mother Earth) and those who expressed solidarity.
“Brothers, today, after opening the road in Colquiri, we had an incident with the helicopter that will be duly investigated; thank God, the Pachamama and our achachilas (tutelary spirits) we are well and no one was hurt; we appreciate the numerous solidarity shows,” the ruler published.
Morales usually travels almost daily to various regions of the country, even the most remote ones, using airplanes, helicopters and land vehicles, to carry out government management tasks that include deliveries of works and meetings with regional authorities and social sectors.
The EC145 helicopter is a medium-sized utility ship manufactured by the European firm Eurocopter of the Airbus group, with the capacity to transport up to eight passengers and capable of flying in regions at high altitude above sea level, such as the Bolivian West.
Subsequently, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro sympathized with the president of Bolivia, Evo Morales.
“In the name of the Venezuelan people, I express my deep solidarity and support to our South Indian Chief Evo Morales, who has emerged unscathed from a plane crash; the immortal spirit of our ancestors and liberators protects you, a hug brother president!” He wrote Mature on the social network Twitter.
See the Twitter posts and video down below:
Herman@s, hoy, luego de inaugurar el camino en Colquiri, tuvimos un incidente con el helicóptero que será debidamente investigado.
Gracias a Dios, la Pachamama y nuestros achachilas nos encontramos bien y nadie resultó lastimado. Agradecemos las numerosas muestras de solidaridad.— Evo Morales Ayma (@evoespueblo) November 4, 2019
En nombre del pueblo venezolano expreso mi profunda solidaridad y apoyo a nuestro Jefe Indio del sur @evoespueblo, quien ha salido ileso de un accidente aéreo. El espíritu inmortal de nuestros ancestros y libertadores te protegen. ¡Un Abrazo Hermano Presidente!
— Nicolás Maduro (@NicolasMaduro) November 4, 2019
Source: Sputnik
