Military helicopter crashes in Mexico, killing 11
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A military helicopter crashed in western Mexico on Friday, killing 11 soldiers and seriously injuring another, the Defense Department said.
The soldiers, including an army major, were on their way to raid a marijuana field when their helicopter lost strength and crashed outside the city of Uruapan in the western state of Michoacan, the department said in a news release.
It said only one soldier survived, and he was flown to a military hospital in Mexico City where he is in serious condition.
The department said it is investigating what caused the crash.
President Felipe Calderon has sent more than 20,000 soldiers and federal agents to several states, including Michoacan, to battle powerful drug cartels that have been fighting each other for territory. Drug-related violence has left thousands dead over the past few years.
German air ambulance is similar to the military variant that crashed.
Eleven people have died after a military helicopter crashed during an anti-narcotics flight in Western Mexico. The Bell 212 went down near Uruapan in Michoacan.

Michoacan is a major area in Mexico's anti-narcotics operations, which are conducted by the nation's military. The rotorcraft went down around midday. Police cordoned off the scene and forensic officers have moved in to examine the site. The Defense Department is investigating.

A statement by the military confirmed the crash. "There are 11 men dead, including a colonel, and one soldier was injured," said a state attorney general's office spokesman. The wounded soldier, who was the sole survivor, was flown to a Mexico City military hospital, and remains there in a serious condition.

Although authorities released no crash details, witnesses say the helicopter lost power during attempts to land. "The motor stopped and the helicopter plummeted to the ground," said one local resident named Agustin Vargas. The flight had been headed to a marijuana field with the intention of raiding it.