Four people have died and 11 others injured in an Italian military helicopter crash involving the European Union mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. The CH-47 Chinook crashed in the Brcko area during a "routine training" mission, EUFOR said.
There were 15 people on board. All of them were Italian citizens, and the dead included two soldiers and two volunteers from the Italian Red Cross Volunteer Corps. The injured have received medical attention and are in stable condition.
Fourth victim dies in hospital
Initially, local authorities reported three dead and 12 injured. A spokesman for the hospital in Brcko confirmed to AFP that a fourth victim had died after being transported to the hospital. Twelve people were taken to the hospital after the crash.
Photos published by Bosnian media showed the overturned helicopter on flat terrain. Rescue teams, firefighters and medical services were sent to the area. No civilian injuries were reported.
An investigation into the causes has been launched
The cause of the crash has not yet been determined. EUFOR said: “We are conducting a full and thorough investigation into the incident and will release further information as it is verified and as appropriate.“
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto expressed his condolences to the families of the victims. “At this moment of immense sorrow, my thoughts go out to the families of the victims, to whom I extend my personal condolences, as well as those of the entire defence ministry,“ he said.
EUFOR has been deployed in Bosnia and Herzegovina since 2004, when it took over the peacekeeping mission from NATO. Operation “Althea“ monitors the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the war in the country in 1995. The mission has between 1,000 and 1,500 employees.
Sources: aljazeera.com, investing.com, apnews.com