Several individuals perished Saturday when two helicopters with a combined total of five crashed to the ground after colliding mid-air in Finland, according to police. Several individuals perished on Saturday after two helicopters that had collided mid-air crashed in Finland’s western province of Eura. The helicopters crashed to the ground after the collision but the casualty rate is not yet certain.
As per a statement by the Finnish police, the helicopters were occupied by five individuals and the accident caused “several fatalities.” The precise number of victims and their identities is yet to be determined.
The crash took place in the same area where British helicopter squadrons were recently deployed during the Finnish Army’s spring exercises late last April. However, a Finnish General Staff spokesperson confirmed that no Finnish Air Force or any foreign military aircraft was involved in the crash.
Media said the helicopters had departed from Estonia and had businessmen on board, three in one and two in the other. Reports indicated that they crashed west of the capital city Helsinki at noon. Officials provided no clue as to why they collided.
Finnish daily Iltalehti quoted a witness, Antti Marjanen, as telling them they saw one of the helicopters collide with the other in a manoeuvre. One of them fell like a stone and the other slowly. I did not hear anything,” Marjanen was reported as saying.
