In brief
Brčko mayor Siniša Milic declared Friday a day of mourning for four Italian military personnel who died in a helicopter crash Thursday. The crash killed three immediately at the site and a fourth later in hospital, with 11 other people unharmed. Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto and Bosnian Defence Minister Zukan Helez visited the wounded EUFOR staff in Bosnian hospitals.
Brčko, a city in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina, declared Friday a day of mourning for four Italian military personnel killed in a helicopter crash on Thursday afternoon, according to the city’s mayor Siniša Milic.
Milic described the incident as one of the most tragic events involving international forces in the country since 1997 and thanked the helicopter pilot for steering the aircraft away from a densely populated area, preventing civilian casualties.
The crash killed three of the crew on the ground and a fourth after being transported to a hospital; 11 others involved were reported to be in non‑life‑threatening condition, as noted by local news agency FENA.
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto arrived in Bosnia on Friday and visited the injured EUFOR personnel in hospital, accompanied by Bosnian Defence Minister Zuka Ćezl, according to FENA reports.
Confirmed facts include the declaration of a day of mourning, the identification of four Italian EUFOR members killed, the timing of the crash on Thursday, and the visit of the Italian Defence Minister to the Bosnian hospitals.
Unconfirmed or pending details include further casualty counts beyond the initial four reported and the precise circumstances leading to the helicopter’s loss of control.
