Spanish helicopter crashes in Haiti

(BRUSSELS2) A Spanish Agusta-Bell 212 helicopter from the "Hispaniola" group crashed yesterday on the island of Haiti, on returning from a logistics mission in the Dominican Republic. The 4 occupants of the aircraft died, their bodies found and identified and transferred to the ship "Castilla". They were taking part in the mission coordinated by the European Union for the reconstruction of Haiti (Euco).

The two helicopters carrying out the mission lost contact in an area of ​​low visibility. Research was then initiated in which the UN (Minustah) and American forces participated. They made it possible to locate the crashed helicopter in a mountainside difficult to access near the town of Fond-Verettes.

Another accident occurred in the same area last October, killing 11 people. But this is the first accident for the EUCO mission (see the page memoriam).

NB: Cathy Ashton, the High Representative had been on board one of these helicopters during her visit to Haiti.

(NVP)