Society News

EU force helicopter crashes in Bosnia: four Italian crew killed, 11 injured

An Italian military helicopter serving with EUFOR, the European Union's peacekeeping force in Bosnia and Herzegovina, crashed on Thursday, October 29, killing four crew members and injuring 11 people, according to a local hospital cited by Ireland's RTÉ. Hindustan Times, carrying the same news for Indian readers, reported that the four dead were Italians.

Neither report gave a cause, the exact crash site, the type of helicopter or the condition of the injured. Both relied on the hospital's count rather than on a statement from EUFOR or the Italian defence ministry, so the figures may still change.

The crash came on the same day as an unrelated mid-air collision between two helicopters in Oregon in the United States, which Hindustan Times was also reporting that evening.

How each outlet framed it

• RTÉ — the hospital's casualty count, and the aircraft's role in the EU mission.
• Hindustan Times — a short wire report stressing the nationality of the dead.

What we don't know yet: what caused the crash, whether weather played a part, the names of the crew, how many people were on board in total, and whether Italian or EU investigators will lead the inquiry.