Türkiye
Four soldiers killed as a military helicopter crashes in Malatya; the cause is not yet known
Developing
- What happened
- An S-70 military helicopter crashed in the Yeşilyurt district of Malatya on Thursday evening, killing the four soldiers on board, the Defence Ministry said.
- Why it matters
- The ministry says the cause has not been determined; the wreck started a fire that spread to a nearby house.
- What’s next
- The Malatya chief prosecutor’s office has opened an investigation and assigned three prosecutors to it.
How this story developed
- 19:16First report
- 19:192nd source
- 19:19Confirmed
- 19:48+5 outlets in 51 min
- 21:30+4 outlets in 28 min
- 19:16First reportCumhuriyet
- 19:192nd sourceHürriyet
- 19:19ConfirmedWas: Single source
- 19:48+5 outlets in 51 minEuronews Türkçe, Diken, Sabah and 2 more
- 21:30Latest+4 outlets in 28 minHabertürk, NTV, Sözcü and 1 more
Full story
The crash
A Turkish military helicopter crashed on Thursday evening in Malatya, in eastern Türkiye, killing all four soldiers on board. The Ministry of National Defence (MSB) announced the deaths in a written statement.
According to Euronews Türkçe and Habertürk, the helicopter came down at about 18:45 in the Samanköy area of the Yeşilyurt district. Medyascope reported that it was on a duty flight. Cumhuriyet said a fire broke out where it fell and the flames spread to a nearby house; fire crews sent to the scene put them out. Fire, ambulance and disaster agency AFAD teams were dispatched in large numbers.
What the ministry said
In its first statement the ministry said that one S-70 helicopter had crashed in Malatya for a reason not yet known, that the wreckage had been reached and that search and rescue work had begun immediately. A second statement confirmed the deaths.
“As a result of our S-70 helicopter crashing in Malatya for a reason that has not yet been determined, four of our heroic comrades in arms on board were martyred.”
Ministry of National Defence, Hürriyet(translated)
The ministry offered its condolences to the families, the armed forces and the nation. It did not give the soldiers’ names or say where the helicopter was flying from. Police and military officials were examining the site on Thursday night.
Investigation and reaction
The Malatya chief public prosecutor’s office opened an investigation into the crash and assigned one deputy chief prosecutor and two prosecutors to it, Hürriyet and Cumhuriyet reported.
The S-70 is a twin-engine Sikorsky helicopter developed in the 1970s that entered service in 1979. Euronews Türkçe noted that it is generally used for carrying personnel, air assault, medical evacuation, search and rescue and carrying external loads, and was designed to manoeuvre in difficult weather and terrain.
Politicians from across the spectrum published messages of condolence, Sabah, Hürriyet and Habertürk reported. Among them was the leader of the main opposition CHP, Özgür Özel, who, according to Cumhuriyet, offered his condolences to the nation.