CABASSE: Five other people were killed Friday after two army training helicopters crashed into each other close to a lake in southern France, police mentioned, one of the vital deadliest such injuries involving the country's armed forces in recent times.
The collision happened at around eight:30 am (0730 GMT) close to the lake of Carces, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of the hotel of Saint-Tropez.
"The helicopters collided. There were three army personnel in one and two in the other. All are dead," police mentioned within the close by the town of Brignoles.
The explanation for the collision used to be still unclear.
All the folks on board were officers, a supply just about the inquiry mentioned.
"One of the helicopters broke up and crashed onto a road, the second crashed about 150 to 200 metres away and burned," mentioned Jean-Luc Videlaine, prefect of the Var area.
The Gazelle helicopters from the military's mild aviation department were based at a flight faculty in Cannet-des-Maures.
Two police helicopters were still looking the crash scene in a while after midday, whilst rescue services had blocked get admission to to a forest highway close to the lake, according to an AFP journalist.
Defence Minister Florence Parly, who used to be en route to the website online and the learning base, expressed "great sadness" in a Twitter publish, whilst President Emmanuel Macron hailed the "commitment of these officers who were preparing themselves for future missions."
The French-made Gazelle helicopters entered service within the 1970s, and are used for reconnaissance and light-weight assaults in addition to training.
The aircraft were a part of the French army's EALAT light-aircraft training faculty.
More than two dozen Gazelles are stationed in Cannet des Maures, in conjunction with Fennec and Puma choppers.
An area councillor, Jean-Pierre Veran, mentioned helicopters "regularly" fly over the zone and there had by no means been an accident, calling it a "terrible shock" with debris spread over a large house.
Army chief-of-staff Jean-Pierre Bosser expressed his "solidarity with the family and friends of the victims, as well as their comrades" on the training facility.
The ultimate main aviation accident involving the protection forces in France happened in May 2016, when a police helicopter crashed close to Cauterets within the Pyrenees mountains, killing 4 on board.
An investigation later made up our minds it used to be brought about through pilot error.
The collision happened at around eight:30 am (0730 GMT) close to the lake of Carces, about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northwest of the hotel of Saint-Tropez.
"The helicopters collided. There were three army personnel in one and two in the other. All are dead," police mentioned within the close by the town of Brignoles.
The explanation for the collision used to be still unclear.
All the folks on board were officers, a supply just about the inquiry mentioned.
"One of the helicopters broke up and crashed onto a road, the second crashed about 150 to 200 metres away and burned," mentioned Jean-Luc Videlaine, prefect of the Var area.
The Gazelle helicopters from the military's mild aviation department were based at a flight faculty in Cannet-des-Maures.
Two police helicopters were still looking the crash scene in a while after midday, whilst rescue services had blocked get admission to to a forest highway close to the lake, according to an AFP journalist.
Defence Minister Florence Parly, who used to be en route to the website online and the learning base, expressed "great sadness" in a Twitter publish, whilst President Emmanuel Macron hailed the "commitment of these officers who were preparing themselves for future missions."
The French-made Gazelle helicopters entered service within the 1970s, and are used for reconnaissance and light-weight assaults in addition to training.
The aircraft were a part of the French army's EALAT light-aircraft training faculty.
More than two dozen Gazelles are stationed in Cannet des Maures, in conjunction with Fennec and Puma choppers.
An area councillor, Jean-Pierre Veran, mentioned helicopters "regularly" fly over the zone and there had by no means been an accident, calling it a "terrible shock" with debris spread over a large house.
Army chief-of-staff Jean-Pierre Bosser expressed his "solidarity with the family and friends of the victims, as well as their comrades" on the training facility.
The ultimate main aviation accident involving the protection forces in France happened in May 2016, when a police helicopter crashed close to Cauterets within the Pyrenees mountains, killing 4 on board.
An investigation later made up our minds it used to be brought about through pilot error.
Five dead after two army helicopters collide in France
Reviewed by Kailash
on
February 02, 2018
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