Mexican interior secretary killed in plane crash
5/11/2008 16:59
Mexico's Interior Secretary Juan Camilo Mourino has been killed along with
eight other people in a plane crash in Mexico City.
President Felipe Calderon
said he and the government had lost "one of the best colleagues and intimate
friends," adding that the authorities will firmly continue combating organized
crime and drug trafficking.
The accident happened at 18:30 (2330GMT) local
time yesterday. The plane came down on one of the city's busiest roads, Mayor of
Mexico City Marcelo Ebrard said.
An official death toll is yet to be
released, but it is believed many more people may have died on the
ground.
Several vehicles were said to be damaged or completely destroyed in
the crash. A fierce fire was raging at the crash site in the central part of the
city.
A nearby building was also damaged and firefighters, police and
soldiers were tackling the blaze, an on-scene Xinhua reporter witnessed.
The
plane had flown from the state of San Luis Potosi where the secretary had signed
a state agreement on legality, security and justice, a spokesman for the Public
Security Secretary told Xinhua.
The Mexican army has taken control of the
surrounding area. The cause of the accident remains unknown.
Mourino, 37, was
born in Madrid, Spain, and was believed to have been one of President Caldero's
closest advisers. He took office on January 16 and was seen as one of the
Mexican government's tough guys when it came to implementing structural reforms,
especially in the energy sector.
Xinhua
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