A Peruvian Air Force Mi-17 helicopter crashed during emergency flood response operations in southern Peru on Sunday, resulting in fifteen fatalities. The aircraft, which lost radio contact during its mission in the storm-ravaged Arequipa region, was discovered wrecked in the Chala district on Monday.
Among the deceased were all four crew members and eleven passengers, including seven children. Reports indicate that some military personnel aboard had brought family members along during the rescue deployment. The youngest victim was just three years old.
The helicopter had been dispatched from Pisco in the Ica region to support disaster relief efforts in Arequipa, where torrential rains have triggered severe flooding, mudslides, and river overflows. The wreckage was located near the coastal town of Chala Viejo.
Peruvian authorities have launched a full investigation into the tragic incident. The Air Force expressed profound condolences to families and colleagues of the victims, describing the loss as ‘irreparable.’
Meanwhile, the climate emergency continues to batter Arequipa with destructive force. Regional Governor Rohel Sánchez has formally requested national government assistance after numerous homes were rendered uninhabitable. Separate weather-related incidents have claimed at least two additional lives—an elderly woman swept away by floodwaters in Cayma district and a man killed by lightning.
Visual documentation from affected areas shows extensive damage with torrents of mud and debris inundating residential neighborhoods and floodwaters penetrating homes, creating a compounded humanitarian crisis.