Vietnam Military Helicopter crashes During Drill
A Vietnamese army helicopter crashed near a military
airport on the outskirts of Hanoi early on Monday, injuring several
people, a senior official said.
The accident occurred
at about 8 a.m. (0100 GMT) when the helicopter, which was carrying 21
people, crashed while taking part in a military exercise in Thach That
district, Deputy Lieutenant General Vo Van Tuan, Chief of Staff of the
Vietnam People’s Army, said.
He said several people had been injured.
A doctor at Military 105 hospital said many of the injured are in critical condition with serious burns.
Among the 21 on board were 10 soldiers, eight parachutists and three helicopter crew members.
One report in the local media said over a dozen people had been killed, but Tuan did not confirm this.
The
helicopter exploded causing a fire which made it difficult for rescue
workers to access the area, Nguyen Manh Hong, deputy chairman of the
district said.
One witness told newspaper Tuoi Tre she saw the helicopter flying overhead, apparently in trouble, before it crashed and exploded.