Guatemalan minister dies in crash

Guatemalan Interior Minister Vinicio Gomez died in a helicopter crash late yesterday in the northern part of the country, the Associated Press reported.

Deputy Interior Minister Edgar Hernandez, the pilot of the aircraft and one other passenger also were killed in the crash, AP said, citing Guatemalan presidential spokesman Ronaldo Robles. The flight took off from the town of Flores, though the report doesn't say where the group was headed.

The cause of the accident was unknown, AP said. There was heavy fog and rain in the area at the time of the crash, the report said.

Deputy minister Edgar Hernandez, the pilot and one other person also died.

The authorities lost radio contact with the aircraft at 1308 local time (1908 GMT) on Friday.

It disappeared over an area known as Alta Verapaz after leaving the town of Flores. The cause of the crash has not been determined.

"Bad weather caused the accident," Barillas said.

The plane took off from Guatemala City bound for the northern jungle region of Peten, but crashed near the small town of Senahu, Barillas said.