Archive photo: A U.S. Army CH-47 Chinook in Germany in 2014, not the aircraft involved. Photo: Spc. Glenn M. Anderson/U.S. Army. Public domain.
BRCKO, Bosnia and Herzegovina – Four people were killed and 11 were injured when an Italian CH-47 Chinook helicopter crashed during routine EUFOR training near Gorice, in the Brcko area, on Thursday, according to official statements from the European Union force and Italy’s Defense Ministry.
The helicopter was carrying 15 people as part of Operation EUFOR Althea, the Italian ministry said. The four who died included two members of the Italian Army and two members of the Italian Red Cross’s volunteer military corps.
The Defense Ministry said the 11 injured were receiving treatment and none was in a life-threatening condition. Italy was sending a medical team to provide additional care and support.
Emergency crews take survivors to Brcko
In its official statement, EUFOR said Bosnia and Herzegovina’s emergency services and its liaison and observation teams reached the scene, recovered the people aboard and took them to medical facilities in Brcko.
No civilians were injured, and the crash caused no damage to civilian infrastructure, property or vehicles, EUFOR said.
Cause remains under investigation
EUFOR and Italy’s Defense Ministry said investigations were under way to determine what caused the crash. Neither statement identified a cause.
Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto expressed condolences to the families of those killed and support for the injured. The ministry said it released the casualty details only after informing the families of those who died.
JBizNews Desk | Brcko
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