LIMA, July 21 (Xinhua) -- A military helicopter given by Venezuela to Bolivian President Evo Morales crashed in a mountainous zone and five militaries aboard died, according to information reaching here from La Paz, administrative capital of Bolivia on Monday.

    The helicopter took off at 3:30 p.m. local time (1930 GTM) on Sunday from the city of Cochabamba, where it stopped for refueling. It crashed near Colomi, department of Cochabamba, center of Bolivia.

    The remains of the helicopter were found early Monday morning in the small village of Colomi in Cochabamba, a mountainous area 250 km east from La Paz, Bolivian Defense Minister Walker San Miguel said.

    Bolivian militaries went to the scene to investigate the cause of the accident and to recover the bodies of the victims, San Miguel said.

    San Miguel said he did not know the cause of the accident.

    Morales is sane and safe as he was not traveling aboard the helicopter. The helicopter Super Puma, of the Venezuelan Aerial Force (FAV), transported Morales to the department of Oruro on Sunday.

    The victims were four Venezuelan and one Bolivian military. The military helicopter was one of those which Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez had given to Morales in 2006.

    The helicopter crash "are news that has touched us because they were staff very close to the presidential transport, to the transport of the Government Palace," San Miguel said, adding "the helicopter was fully operative and with proper maintenance."