18 die in Ethiopian military helicopter crash

Russian military helicopter crashes

An Ethiopian military helicopter crashed on Thursday, killing all 18 people on board.

Among the victims of the crash were fifteen members of the country’s armed forces and three civilians.

Addisu Arega, a Oromiya regional cabinet minister, confirmed the incident and tweeted: “All passengers on board died. The cause is under investigation. Our condolences to the families.”

The crash occurred in the morning in the Oromia region while the aircraft was flying from the eastern city of Dire Dawa to an air base in Bishoftu, southeast of the capital Addis Ababa, according to the Ethiopian News Agency, citing police officials.

The helicopter belonged to the Ethiopian Defense Ministry reportedly started burning while in the air. An investigation into the cause of the crash is ongoing.   



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