MANAGUA, June 20 (Xinhua) -- A Nicaraguan air force commander and nine others were killed on Thursday in a helicopter crash in the west of the country, according to the army.
The victims included seven senior military officials and three soldiers, army spokesman Orlando Palacios told reporters.
The Russia-made MI-17 helicopter crashed into a lake north of the capital Managua at around 10: 29 a.m. local time (1629 GMT) when returning from a mission in the northwest of the country, the spokesman said.
The helicopter had sent out an SOS and said it was trying to make an emergency landing before disappearing off the radar, he added.
There is no immediate information on the cause of the mishap.
Soldiers searching the area have recovered several bodies.
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