BOGOTA, Sept 29, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Eight Colombian soldiers died when the helicopter transporting them on a humanitarian mission crashed near the border with Venezuela, the president said Sunday.

The eight were on a mission in the eastern department of Vichada, President Gustavo Petro wrote on X, without saying when the crash occurred.

The Air Force reported that the helicopter was found after a search in a rural area in the municipality of Cumaribo, adding there were no survivors.

Images distributed by Colombian media showed the burnt wreckage of the aircraft in the middle of a grassland.

The families of the crew were receiving support while a recovery mission was underway, said the Air Force.