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Mexico's Puebla governor Martha Erika Alonso dies in helicopter crash Mexico's Puebla governor Martha Erika Alonso dies in helicopter crash
(about 4 hours later)
The governor of Mexico's central Puebla state, Martha Erika Alonso, has died in a helicopter crash, just days after being sworn into office. A Mexican governor who was sworn in earlier this month and her senator husband have died in a helicopter crash in the central state of Puebla.
Her husband, Senator Rafael Moreno Valle, and two pilots were also killed. Reports say there was a third passenger on board, who also died. The aircraft carrying Puebla Gov Martha Erika Alonso and Sen Rafael Moreno Valle came down shortly after it took off.
Monday's accident happened shortly after the aircraft took off from the state capital of Puebla. The two pilots were killed. Reports say a third passenger also died.
Ms Alonso became Puebla's first female governor after hotly contested polls. Officials say the helicopter may have suffered an unspecified failure. An investigation has been opened.
The 45-year-old was a member of the centre-right PAN party. Ms Alonso, 45, had been sworn in on 14 December as Puebla's first female governor, after hotly contested polls.
The deaths of the governor and her husband were confirmed by Mexico's new President, Andrés Manuel López Obrador. Mr Moreno, 50, had served as Puebla's governor between 2011 and 2017.
In a tweet (in Spanish), President López Obrador expressed "deepest condolences" to the relatives of the two politicians. What do we know about the crash?
He said an investigation would be launched to establish "the truth" about what caused the crash. The privately-owned Agusta helicopter bound to Mexico City lost contact with air traffic control and crashed 10 minutes after take-off, Security Minister Alfonso Durazo said.
Mexican officials later said they believed the helicopter went down after suffering an unspecified failure near Puebla, Mexico's second largest city. The accident happened on Monday at 14:50 local time (20:50 GMT) in the area of Santa María Coronango, near the state capital of Puebla, Mexico's second-largest city.
Ms Alonso had taken office on 14 December, narrowly beating in July's elections Manuel Barbosa, President López Obrador's favoured candidate for the governorship of one of Mexico's most populous states. "At this point, there's no evidence that could lead us to conclude that the cause was not related to how the [helicopter] was functioning," Mr Durazo told journalists.
President López Obrador's Morena party had alleged widespread irregularities and fraud in the poll, and the final results had to be validated by an electoral tribunal. President Andrés Manuel López Obrador said an investigation would be launched to establish "the truth" about what caused the crash.
Mr Barbosa said the deaths of Ms Alonso and Mr Moreno Valle was a "tragedy that no-one wishes to anyone". In a tweet (in Spanish), he expressed "deepest condolences" to the relatives of the two politicians.
"I am shocked and in mourning. My sympathies to their loved ones. This is not the time to make any speculation," Mr Barbosa added. The accident comes after a number of high-profile deaths in helicopter crashes over the years in Mexico, including Interior Minister Francisco Blake Mora in 2011, the BBC's Will Grant reports.
Mr Moreno Valle also served as Puebla's governor between 2011 and 2017.
Puebla's parliament will now have to appoint an interim governor until new elections are held.
Monday's accident comes after a number of high-profile deaths in helicopter crashes over the years in Mexico, including Interior Minister Francisco Blake Mora in 2011, the BBC's Will Grant reports.
Earlier this year, 13 people died when a minister's helicopter crashed into a crowd, although the minister himself survived, our correspondent says.Earlier this year, 13 people died when a minister's helicopter crashed into a crowd, although the minister himself survived, our correspondent says.
Who are the victims?
Ms Alonso was a member of the centre-right PAN party. In elections in July, she narrowly beat Manuel Barbosa, President López Obrador's favoured candidate for the governorship of one of Mexico's most populous states.
Puebla's parliament will now have to appoint an interim governor until new elections are held.
President López Obrador's leftist Morena party had alleged widespread irregularities and fraud in the poll, and the final results had to be validated by an electoral tribunal.
Mr Barbosa said the deaths were a "tragedy that no-one wishes to anyone", adding: "I am shocked and in mourning. My sympathies to their loved ones. This is not the time to make any speculation."
Rafael Moreno Valle was a member of the PAN in the Senate. Some opposition politicians called for an independent investigation into the crash.
The pilots have been identified as Capt Roberto Cope and First Officer Marco Antonio Tavera.
It is presumed that a fifth passenger was on board, but no details have been released.