Mexico City, Jun 7 (AP) Two Guatemalan pilots and a Mexican agronomist engineer died Friday when their plane crashed in southern Mexico near the border with Guatemala as they freed sterile flies meant to stop the spread of screwworm in cattle.

Mexico's Agriculture Ministry said in a statement that the Guatemalan plane crashed near Tapachula in southern Mexico, but did not give a cause.

Also Read | Yemen: Houthis Say ‘Ready To Swap Prisoners With Government’ in Major Move Since Beginning of Civil War.

Mexico had stepped up efforts to control the spread of the pest last month under pressure from the United States government, which suspended cattle imports from Mexico because of fear of the screwworm.

President Claudia Sheinbaum had said Friday that she didn't know when the suspension would be lifted, but that specialists from the US were in Mexico studying the country's efforts.

Also Read | 'US With India in Fight Against Terrorism': Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau Tells Congress MP Shashi Tharoor-Led All-Party Delegation.

The screwworm is a larva of the Cochliomyia hominivorax fly that can invade the tissues of any warm-blooded animal, including humans. The parasite enters animals' skin, causing severe damage and lesions that can be fatal. (AP)

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)