An Italian helicopter serving with the European Union Force in Bosnia crashed during routine training near Brcko, killing four people and injuring eleven. Italy’s defence ministry identified two soldiers and two Red Cross volunteers among the dead. The force is investigating the circumstances and says the surviving injured personnel are stable.
An Italian military helicopter serving with the European Union Force in Bosnia, known as EUFOR, crashed near Brcko in the country’s north on Thursday. The force identified the aircraft as a CH-47 Chinook and said it had been conducting routine training. Italy’s government said all fifteen people aboard were Italian nationals. The crash site was approximately 180 km north of the capital, Sarajevo.[1]
Four people died and eleven were injured, according to EUFOR. Italy’s defence ministry said those killed were two soldiers and two Red Cross volunteers. Three people initially died, and a fourth died after being taken to hospital. The force said the surviving injured personnel were in stable condition and receiving treatment.[1], [2]
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto offered condolences to the families of those killed.[1]
EUFOR announced a comprehensive investigation into the crash; its findings had not been announced. The European force has operated in Bosnia since 2004, when it replaced the previous peacekeeping mission. Its deployment supports implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which ended the Bosnian war in 1995. The force has between 1,000 and 1,500 personnel.[1]
