A helicopter crash occurred in El Salvador, killing nine people including the national police chief

On the evening of September 8 local time, a shocking crash occurred in El Salvador. According to an announcement made by Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele on social media on the 9th, an air force helicopter of the country crashed in La Unión Department while on a mission to the border between El Salvador and Honduras. All nine people on board were killed, including national police chief Mauricio Arriaza as well as four police officers, three crew members, a journalist and a criminal suspect.

This unexpected incident has caused a huge shock in El Salvador. Mauricio Arriaza has made important contributions in combating crime. Since March 2022, he has led the country's crackdown on criminal gangs and arrested nearly 82,000 gang suspects. He is a capable assistant to President Bukele in cracking down on gang crimes. This time, he boarded the helicopter to escort wanted banker Manuel Coto back to the country, but unexpectedly encountered a crash.

President Bukele announced that the whole country will enter a three-day mourning period, and all institutions will fly flags at half-mast in mourning. At the same time, Bukele said that this incident is not a simple "accident". He has ordered relevant institutions to conduct a thorough investigation and will request international assistance to find out the truth and let the real culprit behind the scenes bear the ultimate consequences.

This crash not only cost El Salvador an important police official but also had a certain impact on the country's security and stability. The international community is also paying attention to this incident. All parties are waiting for the investigation results to understand the real cause behind the accident. The Salvadoran government said it will do its best to do follow-up work and give an explanation to the people.