Helicopter Crash Kills Four Macedonian Officers

Police confirmed there were four casualties in the crash in the Russian-made multi-purpose Mi 17 helicopter, announcing more details would follow on Friday.

The helicopter that crashed minutes after 10pm was reportedly transporting a shift of border police officers.

Eyewitness reports claimed that before hitting the ground, the helicopter hit a tall antenna pole, presumably owned by the Macedonian national radio.

Strumica mayor Zoran Zaev late on Thursday said that the helicopter crashed north of the town in a field. A worse tragedy was narrowly avoided as the field is only about 50 metres from a residential area.

“Sadly, four servicemen had been killed. The helicopter probably experienced a defect. People say that it flew chaotically, had no lights on, and hit an antenna after which an explosion was heard. We still don’t know the exact cause of the crash,” Zaev told media.

In 2008, a crash of a similar type of helicopter belonging to the Macedonian army, near the capital, Skopje, killed 11 soldiers returning from a peacekeeping mission in Bosnia and Herzegovina.