TRAGIC

13 People Sleeping in Open Field Killed by Helicopter Crash

The victims were reportedly residents trying to stay safe during the aftershocks of Mexico's 7.2-magnitude earthquake.

A military helicopter sent out to assess the damage from a 7.2-magnitude earthquake in Mexico crashed into several people apparently taking shelter in a field, killing 13 of them and wounding another 15. Five women, four men, and three children were killed as the helicopter went down Friday, and another person later died in a hospital, the Oaxaca state prosecutor's office said Saturday. The helicopter’s passengers—state officials including Interior Secretary Alfonso Navarrete and Oaxaca Gov. Alejandro Murat—did not suffer serious injuries in the crash. The victims were reportedly struck after spending the night in an open field, apparently to stay safe during aftershocks from the quake. Many residents fled their homes following the tremors, but no deaths were reported.