Some 18 soldiers and one civilian died on Sunday when a Venezuelan army helicopter crashed as it patrolled the border with Colombia, in the south-western state of Tachira.

The accident was reported by President Hugo Chavez, during his regular Sunday broadcast, "Alo Presidente," during which he also expressed his condolences for the tragedy.

The crash took place around noon in Tachira settlement of Alto de Rubio. The helicopter had the registration number MI 35 EV 08114.

Chavez named the dead as including the recently appointed second in command of the theater of operations, Brigadier Domingo Alberto Feneite Medina; the helicopter's pilot, Captain Edison Viera Zambrano; it co-pilot Captain Omar Helio Villamizar.

The other dead, which include non commissioned officers, private soldiers and a civilian have not been named.

(Xinhua News Agency May 4, 2009)