Military helicopter crashes in western Mexico, killing 11 soldiers

Police and army personnel cordon off the site where a military helicopter crashed. (AP)

MEXICO, Saturday, AP -- A military helicopter crashed in western Mexico yesterday, killing 11 soldiers and seriously injuring another, the Defense Department said.

The soldiers, including an army major, were on their way to raid a marijuana field when their helicopter lost strength and crashed outside the city of Uruapan in the western state of Michoacan, the department said in a news release.

It said only one soldier survived, and he was flown to a military hospital in Mexico City where he is in serious condition.

The department said it is investigating what caused the crash. President Felipe Calderon has sent more than 20,000 soldiers and federal agents to several states, including Michoacan, to battle powerful drug cartels that have been fighting each other for territory. Drug-related violence has left thousands dead over the past few years.