Angolan president regrets death of helicopter crash: media

LUANDA, Sept. 3 (Xinhua) -- Angolan President Jose Eduardo dos Santos has regretted the death of four people in a weekend police helicopter crash, the official news agency Angop reported on Monday.

"I seize the occasion to present to the mourning families by my heartfelt sympathy for the loss," said Eduardo dos Santos, when addressing a ceremony with civil societies which were celebrating his 70th birthday on Aug. 28.

The helicopter crashed on Saturday at about 6:30 p.m. (local time), 12 kilometers off Dundo City, in the northeastern Lunda Norte Province of the African country, killing the captain of the aircraft Tiago Casimiro, his assistant, Joao Adelino Joao Brandao, as well as workers of the Provincial Electoral Commission, Lourenco Mussenoho and Maria Augusta Joao.

The helicopter of the Angolan National Police was supporting the National Electoral Commission (CNE) before crashing, Angop said.

President Eduardo dos Santos was expected for another five-year term in office after his ruling MPLA party won a comfort majority or 74.14 percent of the vote at the general elections which were held on Friday, according to provisional results announced by CNE. Enditem

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