KAMPALA, Aug. 5 (Xinhuanet) -- Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni has said the cause of the helicopter crash which claimed the lives of Sudan's former first vice president John Garang last Saturday is still unclear, Radio Uganda reported Friday.

    Museveni made the remarks when addressing thousands of mourners in Yei in southern Sudan on Friday, saying that he was not ruling out any option.

    "I myself will not rule out anything. It may be an accident, it may be something else. I am looking at all possibilities," the president said.

    He said the helicopter was in good mechanical condition, of high quality and could fly at night.

    "Either the pilot panicked in spite of the plane having good conditions, or there was this side wind, or the instruments did not work, or there was an external factor," Museveni said.

    He informed the mourners however he would await the results of the investigation being carried out jointly by Uganda, Sudan, Kenya, Britain, the United States and Russia, the manufacturers ofthe plane.

    Uganda will send a high powered delegation to represent the country at the funeral of Garang in Juba. The delegation, led by Museveni, includes nine ministers and 14 members of parliament. Enditem