Seven killed in Argentina wildfire helicopter crash in San Juan province

The crash

On Wednesday, 29 July 2026, a Bell 412 helicopter operated by Argentina's Federal Emergency Agency (AFE) crashed in Ischigualasto Provincial Park, a remote area in San Juan province about 1,200 kilometres from Buenos Aires. The aircraft was on a training flight and was scheduled to continue to neighbouring La Rioja province to help control a wildfire. Contact was lost at 10:26 local time. Another aircraft later located the impact site and alerted authorities. Rescue teams reached the isolated, difficult-to-access zone, but all seven people on board had died. The local digital outlet Tiempo de San Juan described the area as particularly hard to reach.

The victims

Governor Marcelo Orrego confirmed the fatalities in a social media post that afternoon.

“With deep sorrow we received the news of the helicopter accident in our province, in which sadly seven people lost their lives.”

Among the dead were Carlos Heredia, director of Civil Protection of San Juan; Germán Videla, deputy chief of the provincial police; Rubén Castro and Jorge Carbajal, both police chiefs in the fire division; pilot Matías Valenzuela; and AFE brigadiers Andrés Bosch and Rodrigo Aimetta, who had come from other jurisdictions. The victims represented multiple emergency services: firefighters, police, civil protection, and the federal emergencies agency.

Official response

Governor Orrego expressed his condolences to the families and decreed three days of mourning in San Juan. Festive state events were suspended and flags ordered to half-mast. The provincial government said it was working with relevant agencies to provide assistance to the affected families.

“I want to express my most sincere condolences to the families of all the victims in this moment of immense pain.”

Investigation

The AFE stated that the causes of the crash are under investigation. No immediate indication of what led to the accident was given. The helicopter, a Bell 412, was being used for a training exercise at the time. The agency remains in contact with the intervening authorities and will release official information as verified data becomes available.