Four dead and 11 injured as Italian military helicopter crashes in Bosnia

An Italian CH-47 Chinook helicopter assigned to the EU peacekeeping mission crashed near Brčko on Thursday, resulting in four fatalities and 11 injuries.

A CH-47 Chinook helicopter belonging to the Italian military crashed on Thursday afternoon in Gorice, situated approximately 180 kilometers northeast of Sarajevo. The aircraft was taking part in the European Union's EUFOR military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Al Jazeera and Reuters confirmed that four Italian nationals were killed in the accident.

Details on the casualties varied slightly between local officials. Salih Ibrahimbegovic, a spokesperson for Brčko hospital, stated that of the 15 people on board, three died at the crash site and a fourth died after being brought to the hospital. Brčko district mayor Siniša Milić reported that 12 people were injured, with one person in critical condition.

EUFOR confirmed that the crash resulted in the tragic loss of personnel and serious injuries to others, though no civilians were hurt and no civilian property was damaged. The cause of the crash is currently under investigation, and Bosnia's Defence Ministry has stated it will wait for more precise information before issuing further updates.

Mission officials have urged the public to rely on official channels and avoid spreading unverified information or disinformation. Euronews reported that all injured personnel have been treated in Brčko, where medical staff remain on alert following the incident.

Background

EUFOR has operated in Bosnia since 2004, when it took over from NATO. The mission consists of roughly 1,200 personnel working under a UN Security Council mandate to maintain security and oversee peace agreement provisions following the 1992–95 war.