Ecuador ? New Ecuadorian Defense Minister Guadalupe Larriva and one of her children were killed Wednesday when two helicopters collided near a military base in southern Ecuador, officials said.

The crash also killed the pilots of the two aircraft, government spokeswoman Monica Chuji told The Associated Press.

There were no other details immediately available about the crash near Manta, a Pacific port city located 150 miles southeast of the Ecuadorian capital of Quito.

The 50-year-old Larriva, who took office with the inauguration of President Rafael Correa just nine days ago, was the country’s first female defense minister and the only one to never have served in the military.