An Italian Army Chinook helicopter has crashed in Bosnia-Herzegovina during a training exercise for the European Union’s Eufor Althea mission. The toll stands at four dead and eleven injured, none of whom are said to be in life-threatening condition.
The victims have been identified as Sergeant Simone Ruggia and Sergeant Claudio Marchesi, both of the Italian Army, and Lieutenant Franco Adriano Zecchillo and Sergeant Laura Procacci, members of the Red Cross.
The crash occurred in a rural area of the Brčko District, near the village of Gorica. The aircraft went down in an uninhabited area, a short distance from the nearest houses. Mayor Siniša Milić said the impact did not affect any nearby homes.
According to preliminary reconstructions, which still need to be confirmed, the helicopter was flying at low altitude when it apparently began to spin, losing height before crashing to the ground. Several witnesses reported seeing it make a number of turns before going down. Italian Ambassador Sarah Castellani, who arrived at the scene, reportedly indicated that the accident may have occurred shortly after take-off from Brčko airport.
The causes have yet to be established. Among the hypotheses under consideration is possible contact with high-voltage power lines, though this has not been confirmed. No adverse weather conditions were reported at the time. Eufor described the activity as “routine training” and announced an investigation into the circumstances of the crash.
Firefighters, civil protection teams and soldiers from the European mission responded to the scene. Recovering the bodies from the wreckage of the helicopter, which was destroyed in the impact, proved particularly difficult.
The eleven injured were taken into the care of local medical personnel. The Ministry of Defence has ordered the deployment of a medical team to support the facilities handling the response.
According to initial reports, the two Army personnel who died were serving with the 1st Antares Regiment in Viterbo and are believed to have been the aircraft’s pilot and flight engineer. The Chinook reportedly departed from Viterbo on Wednesday morning, bound for Bosnia.
