News Digest

Sick baby among 7 killed in Serbian military helicopter crash

A military helicopter carrying a sick baby for treatment has crashed in thick fog in Serbia, killing all seven people on board. The aircraft had picked up the five-day-old child in the southern region of Raska after an ambulance taking the child to hospital for treatment for life-threatening respiratory problems was blocked by a landslide, according to Serbian broadcaster B92. Serbian state television said the Mi-17 transport helicopter also had four crew members and two medical workers on board.

The control tower lost contact with the helicopter at 22.31.

Serbia’s defence ministry

The helicopter came down at around 10.30pm local time (9.30pm GMT) on Friday “in the wider area” of Belgrade airport, according to the country’s defence ministry. The military said contact was lost after the helicopter apparently tried to make an emergency landing as it ran out of fuel. Floodlights at two of Belgrade’s biggest football stadiums were lit to help the pilots try to land. Several commercial flights that tried to land at the airport had to be rerouted because of poor visibility. Defence Minister Bratislav Gasic said the aircraft was the only helicopter in the army with advanced medevac equipment. Mr Gasic called the pilots “the best” the army had. The government called an emergency cabinet meeting and unanimously voted to declare Sunday a national day of mourning.