Four people lost their lives on Thursday when an Italian military helicopter belonging to the European Union Force in Bosnia crashed during a training exercise. The incident occurred in the Brcko region, located approximately 180 kilometres north of the Bosnian capital, Sarajevo.
EUFOR stated that the aircraft involved was a CH-47 Chinook conducting what it described as a routine training operation. Along with the fatalities, 11 other people sustained injuries in the accident. The peacekeeping force confirmed that all the injured individuals are currently receiving medical treatment and remain in stable condition.
The Italian government verified that every person on board the military aircraft was an Italian national. According to the Italian defence ministry, the deceased victims consisted of two soldiers and two Red Cross volunteers.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto expressed his sorrow following the tragedy. 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, Crosetto said in a statement.
Local media outlets in Bosnia published photographs of the crash site. The images showed the wreckage of the helicopter overturned in a flat field.
A spokesperson for the Brcko hospital told reporters that 15 people were on board the aircraft when it went down, resulting in three immediate fatalities. Twelve injured individuals were subsequently transported to the local medical facility for treatment. Unfortunately, a fourth person succumbed to injuries in the hospital, the spokesperson added.
EUFOR announced that it is currently carrying out a full and thorough investigation into the crash. The force stated that it will release additional information once facts are verified and when appropriate.
The European Union peacekeeping mission currently maintains between 1,000 and 1,500 personnel in Bosnia. The force has been stationed in the country since 2004, taking over operations from a previous NATO peacekeeping deployment that arrived after the conclusion of the Bosnian War in 1995. The primary mandate of the EU mission is to oversee the implementation of the Dayton Peace Agreement, which brought an end to the three-year conflict.
