Italy: 4 killed in crash of European mission helicopter in Bosnia

The Italian Ministry of Defense said that four people were killed and 11 others injured in the crash of an Italian military helicopter in Bosnia and Herzegovina on Thursday afternoon.

The helicopter was operating as part of an European Union peacekeeping mission, currently under Italian command.

The ministry said that two of the deceased were members of the Italian Army, while the other two belonged to the Italian Red Cross’s Military Volunteer Corps. It added that the injured were receiving treatment for non-life-threatening injuries. A total of 15 people were on board the helicopter.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said, “In these moments of profound sorrow, my thoughts go first and foremost to the families of the deceased, to whom I extend my deepest personal condolences, as well as on behalf of the entire defense establishment.”

The Italian news agency ANSA reported that the helicopter crashed in the town of Gorizia, part of the Brčko district.

Images published by local media showed a military transport helicopter overturned on the ground and broken into pieces.

Crosetto said, “There are no words that can ease the pain of such a heavy loss.”

The Ministry of Defense said an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway, and efforts to uncover the circumstances of the incident are continuing.

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni expressed her condolences, writing on the X platform, “My thoughts are with the victims and their families, and with everyone working, under the mission, to promote peace and stability in the region.”