Italian Chinook crashes on EU mission in Bosnia, killing four and injuring 11

New Delhi: An Italian CH-47 Chinook helicopter serving with the European Union’s military mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina crashed during routine training on Thursday, killing four people and injuring 11 others. The aircraft was carrying 15 people when it came down near Brcko in the country’s north, with authorities subsequently reporting that all survivors were in stable condition.

Italy’s defence ministry confirmed that the dead included two Italian army personnel and two members of the Italian Red Cross’s Volunteer Military Corps. In its official statement, the ministry said none of the injured was in a life-threatening condition and that it had ordered an Italian medical team to provide additional support.

The Italian Red Cross later identified its two deceased personnel as Lieutenant Franco Adriano Zecchillo, a nurse, and Sergeant Laura Procacci, a rescue worker. Both were serving with the EUFOR Althea mission, while a third member of the corps’ medical evacuation team was among those injured, the organization said in a separate announcement.

The helicopter crashed in the Gorice area near Brcko, approximately 180 kilometres north of Sarajevo. Photographs published by local media showed the transport aircraft overturned in an open, grassy area, with its fuselage broken apart.

Bosnian emergency services and personnel from EUFOR’s liaison and observation teams responded to the crash and helped transport those aboard to medical facilities in Brcko. The mission said no people on the ground were injured and no civilian infrastructure, property or vehicles were damaged.

Three people died at the scene, while a fourth died after reaching hospital, the Brcko hospital spokesman, Salih Ibrahimbegovic, told AFP. Twelve people had initially been brought to the hospital, explaining the change from early reports of three deaths and 12 injuries to the confirmed toll of four deaths and 11 injuries.

In a subsequent update reported by Bosnian broadcaster N1, EUFOR said two injured personnel had been transferred to a medical facility in Tuzla for further treatment. The remaining nine were receiving care in Brcko, and all 11 were in stable condition.

Investigation into the crash

EUFOR said it had begun a comprehensive investigation and would release further information once the findings had been verified. Italy’s defence ministry separately confirmed that inquiries were underway to reconstruct the accident and establish its cause, which remained undetermined in the available official statements.

The mission urged the public to avoid speculation about the circumstances of the crash and those involved, warning that unverified claims could create unnecessary concern. Italy’s defence ministry said it released details about the fatalities only after informing the victims’ families.

Italy’s defence minister, Guido Crosetto, offered condolences to the bereaved families and expressed support for the injured and their relatives. The prime minister, Giorgia Meloni, also conveyed her sympathies to the victims’ families and personnel serving on the mission, according to Reuters.

Why EUFOR remains in Bosnia

The helicopter was operating under Operation Althea, the European Union’s military deployment in Bosnia and Herzegovina, which began on December 2, 2004, after taking over from the Nato-led Stabilization Force. Its responsibilities include supporting a safe and secure environment and overseeing compliance with the military provisions of the Dayton peace agreement that ended the 1992–95 Bosnian war.

The operation has an executive mandate authorized by the United Nations security council and also supports collective training with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s armed forces. EUFOR maintains liaison and observation teams across the country and can draw on reserve forces outside Bosnia if additional personnel are required to support security.