A Nicaraguan air force commander was among 10 military personnel killed Thursday in a helicopter crash, the army said.
The victims included seven senior military officials and three soldiers, army spokesman Orlando Palacios told reporters.
The Russia-made MI-17 helicopter crashed into a lake north of the capital Managua around 10.30 a.m. when returning from a mission in the northwest of the country, reported Xinhua citing the spokesman.
The helicopter had sent out an SOS and said it was trying to make an emergency landing before disappearing off the radar, he added.