Helicopter crash kills 18 soldiers in Venezuela

Helicopter crash kills 18 soldiers in Venezuela
Published: 5/3/09, 5:27 PM EDT

CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) - Eighteen Venezuelan soldiers, including a brigadier general, died when their helicopter crashed Sunday near Venezuela's border with Colombia, President Hugo Chavez said.

The soldiers were patrolling the 1,400-mile (2,300-kilometer) border separating Venezuela and Colombia when the local military base lost contact with the Mi-35 helicopter shortly after midday. The military helicopter crashed near the town of El Alto de Rubio, the state-run Bolivarian News Agency reported.

Neither Chavez nor the Venezuelan military mentioned the cause of the crash.

Two pilots and the entire crew were killed. Army Brig. Gen. Domingo Alberto Feneite was among the victims.

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