EUFOR Chinook helicopter crash in Bosnia kills four Italians
EUFOR says a CH-47 Chinook crashed during routine training near Brcko; Rome confirms all on board were Italian nationals and that two Red Cross volunteers were among the dead.
At a glance
- A EUFOR CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed during routine training in Bosnia's Brcko region on Thursday, killing four people.
- All four victims were Italian nationals: two soldiers and two Red Cross volunteers, Italy's defence ministry said.
- EUFOR said 11 people were injured and are in stable condition, and that it is investigating the crash.
A CH-47 Chinook helicopter belonging to the European Union Force in Bosnia (EUFOR) crashed during a routine training flight in the Brcko region on Thursday, killing four people and injuring 11, the force said.
EUFOR said the crash happened about 180km (110 miles) north of Bosnia's capital, Sarajevo.
The Italian government said in a statement that all those on board the military helicopter were its nationals. Italy's defence ministry identified the victims as two soldiers and two Red Cross volunteers.
"At this moment of immense grief, my thoughts go first and foremost to the families of our fallen, to whom I extend my personal condolences and those of the entire defence establishment," Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said.
EUFOR said 11 people were injured in the crash and that all of them were receiving treatment and in stable condition.
Differing accounts of the casualties
A spokesman for Brcko hospital told the AFP news agency that 15 people were on board at the time of the crash, which initially killed three people.
"Twelve people were transported to our hospital. Unfortunately, a fourth person succumbed to injuries in the hospital," the spokesman said.
Bosnian media outlets published photos of the wreckage showing the helicopter overturned on the ground in a flat field.
The force said it was investigating. "EUFOR is conducting a full and thorough investigation of the incident and will release more information as it is verified, and when appropriate," it said in a statement.
EUFOR's role in Bosnia
EUFOR has between 1,000 and 1,500 personnel and has been deployed in Bosnia since 2004, when it replaced a NATO peacekeeping force that had been in the country since the Bosnian War ended in 1995.
The mission oversees the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the three-year war.
Source: Al Jazeera.
Questions and answers
- How many people died in the EUFOR helicopter crash in Bosnia?
- Four people were killed: two Italian soldiers and two Red Cross volunteers, according to Italy's defence ministry. EUFOR said a CH-47 Chinook crashed during routine training in the Brcko region.
- Where did the EUFOR Chinook crash happen?
- In the Brcko region of Bosnia, about 180km (110 miles) north of the capital Sarajevo, EUFOR said. Bosnian media published photos of the helicopter overturned in a flat field.
- What is EUFOR's mission in Bosnia?
- EUFOR has been deployed in Bosnia since 2004, when it replaced a NATO peacekeeping force, and oversees implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement. It has between 1,000 and 1,500 personnel.
