Hilda Hernandez, sister of President Juan Orlando Hernandez along with five others have been killed in a helicopter crash on Saturday.
Hilda Hernandez, 51, a close advisor to her brother and the government’s communication secretary was travelling with four members of her security in the Eurocopter AS350 Honduran Air force aircraft. The helicopter took off from Tegucigalpa’s international airport in the morning and was scheduled to land at Soto Cano air base in Comayagua, about 40 miles (60 kilometers) from the capital.
The military helicopter was reported to be vanished from radar and two reconnaissance helicopters were sent to untangle the helicopter missing case. After several hours of investigation, the wreckage was discovered on a mountain near the Honduran capital.
The helicopter crashed on the Yerba Buena Mountain in Lepaterique and no survivors were reported.
President Hernandez changed his Twitter profile picture to a black ribbon of mourning. He later changed it to his sister. Marco Augusto Hernandez, Hilda’s brother as writing reported, “I tell you that our sister and the crew did not survive, please pray for her soul”.
The remaining victims of the crash were Hilda’s companion, Patricia Valladares; security agents Nahun Lagos and Marcos Banegas, and pilot Ivan Esau Vasquez Portillo, La Prensa reports.
