Mexico's Secretary of the Interior, Francisco Blake Mora, has died in a helicopter crash outside Mexico City, officials say.
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| Mexican Secretary of the Interior Francisco Blake Mora in Mexico City - 4 October 2011 |
The helicopter was travelling to Cuernavaca in neighbouring Morelos state for a meeting of prosecutors when it went down.
All eight people on board were killed. It is not clear what caused the crash.
Mr Blake Mora, 45, was appointed to the post last year and was a key figure in the war against drug cartels.
The helicopter had initially been reported missing. Some Mexican media reports said there was heavy cloud at the time.
"Unfortunately the interior secretary, his [assistants] and the helicopter crew were found dead," government spokeswoman Alejandra Sota said.
Spanish news agency Efe said Deputy Interior Secretary Felipe Zamora and the interior ministry's chief press officer Alfredo Garcia were also on the helicopter.
The interior secretary is Mexico's senior cabinet position and the top official after the president, with responsibility for domestic affairs and security.
Mr Blake was President Felipe Calderon's fourth interior secretary. One of his predecessors, Juan Camilo Mourino, was killed in a plane crash in Mexico City three years ago.
Mr Blake began his political career in the north-western border city of Tijuana in the mid-1990s, Associated Press news agency said. He later served in the federal congress.
He earned a reputation as being a hardliner in Mexico's struggle with drug cartels.
More than 40,000 people are reported to have died from drug-related violence since President Calderon sent in the army to help combat the cartels in 2006.
All eight people on board were killed. It is not clear what caused the crash.
Mr Blake Mora, 45, was appointed to the post last year and was a key figure in the war against drug cartels.
The helicopter had initially been reported missing. Some Mexican media reports said there was heavy cloud at the time.
"Unfortunately the interior secretary, his [assistants] and the helicopter crew were found dead," government spokeswoman Alejandra Sota said.
Spanish news agency Efe said Deputy Interior Secretary Felipe Zamora and the interior ministry's chief press officer Alfredo Garcia were also on the helicopter.
The interior secretary is Mexico's senior cabinet position and the top official after the president, with responsibility for domestic affairs and security.
Mr Blake was President Felipe Calderon's fourth interior secretary. One of his predecessors, Juan Camilo Mourino, was killed in a plane crash in Mexico City three years ago.
Mr Blake began his political career in the north-western border city of Tijuana in the mid-1990s, Associated Press news agency said. He later served in the federal congress.
He earned a reputation as being a hardliner in Mexico's struggle with drug cartels.
More than 40,000 people are reported to have died from drug-related violence since President Calderon sent in the army to help combat the cartels in 2006.
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