Fifteen people were aboard a CH-47 Chinook military transport helicopter when it crashed Thursday afternoon near the locality of Gorice in northeastern Bosnia-Herzegovina, leaving three dead and 12 injured.
The fatal accident occurred during a routine operational flight for the EUFOR Althea mission, completely destroying the aircraft and drawing an immediate emergency response from local authorities and international peacekeepers near Brcko.
Casualties Rush to Brcko Hospital
Sinisa Milic of the Brcko district, confirmed the death toll to the daily newspaper Avaz.
The 12 surviving passengers were rushed to the Brcko hospital for urgent medical care. One of those patients remains in critical condition.
Full Medical Mobilization
Hospital management mobilized all available physicians and medical staff to cope with the sudden influx of casualties.
Authorities indicated that patients requiring more specialized care could be transferred to alternative medical institutions as conditions permit.
Command Clarifies Local Non-Involvement
The EUFOR headquarters in Sarajevo issued a formal statement confirming the crash during what was described as a routine flight. The military command emphasized that no civilians were injured in the incident, and there was no damage reported to public infrastructure, private property, or civilian vehicles.
🇮🇹🇧🇦 Katastrofa w Bośni i Hercegowinie. W miejscowości Gorice koło Brčka rozbił się włoski wojskowy śmigłowiec CH-47 Chinook, uczestniczący w misji EUFOR Althea.Wg lokalnych władz zginęły 3 osoby, a 12 zostało rannych. Przyczyny katastrofy są badane. pic.twitter.com/utUELprA4d
Zukan Helez of Bosnia-Hercegovina, told the Radio Free Europe service that the fallen aircraft did not belong to the domestic armed forces and that local military personnel were not involved in the accident.
Ongoing Inquiry into Crash Factors
Investigators have launched a comprehensive inquiry to determine the circumstances of the crash. Peacekeeping authorities stated that further updates will be released as soon as verified facts from the ongoing investigation become available.
