EUFOR Helicopter Crash Near Brcko Kills Four

An Italian CH-47 Chinook helicopter belonging to the EUFOR Althea military mission crashed on Thursday, October 29, near the village of Gorice in Brcko District, in neighboring Bosnia and Herzegovina. Four people were killed and 11 were injured. Brcko is observing a day of mourning today, Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto is visiting the wounded in Brcko and Tuzla, and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni paid tribute to the dead in Rome.

What happened near the village of Gorice?

EUFOR confirmed in a statement that the helicopter was on a routine training flight and that it lost four members who were aboard the aircraft. Sources differ on the time of day: Klix reports the crash happened on Thursday afternoon, while the EUFOR statement refers to the evening of October 29.

Italy’s ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Castellani, told Italian broadcaster TG4 live, on her way to the crash site:

“Unfortunately, this EUFOR Althea military mission helicopter has crashed in the northeast of the country.”

According to her, the helicopter came down at the Gorice sports airfield, during takeoff or just after it. The circumstances of the accident, she added, were still unclear. Brcko District police, firefighters and emergency medical teams reached the scene at once, and the wider area was secured.

EUFOR says no civilians were injured and no civilian infrastructure was damaged. Brcko Mayor Sinisa Milic singled out the pilots for special thanks, saying they kept the aircraft in the air so it would not come down on populated areas.

Who died and who was injured?

Early reports spoke of three dead. Milic said in the evening that the toll had risen to four, citing confirmation from the hospital.

EUFOR and RTRS say the dead are two members of the Italian armed forces, from the army aviation branch, and two members of the Italian Military Red Cross. Klix, in contrast, writes about four Italian soldiers.

Of the 11 injured, nine are being treated in the surgery ward of the Brcko Health Center and two were transferred to the University Clinical Center Tuzla. The director of the Brcko facility, Mehanovic, said all are out of danger, while Klix reports more serious injuries for the two in Tuzla. Doctors in Tuzla will decide after a consultation whether treatment will be conservative or surgical. An Italian doctor has been at the Brcko hospital since the evening of October 29, and the Italian embassy will decide on any transfer of the injured to Italy. EUFOR said:

“All of the injured are currently in stable condition.”

Why did Brcko declare a day of mourning?

Milic declared October 30 a day of mourning. Bosnian flags have been lowered to half-mast at all district institutions, and media broadcasting in Brcko are adjusting their programming. The mayor said:

“This is a symbolic way of expressing our solidarity with the families of the victims and with the entire Italian people.”

Milic added that these were “soldiers from the peacekeeping forces engaged in preserving peace and stability in Bosnia and Herzegovina.”

On October 30 Crosetto landed at Tuzla airport, where he was met by Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Defense Minister Zukan Helez and Lieutenant General Gojko Knezevic. From Tuzla he went to the hospital in Brcko, then to the clinic in Tuzla, and on to Sarajevo and Camp Butmir. In Rome, Meloni and Crosetto laid roses at the Circus Maximus, and the prime minister wrote on X:

“Four lives were cut short while serving Italy. Today my thoughts are with them and with those who love them”

In its statement, EUFOR said it was “deeply shaken by this tragic loss of life” and expressed its “deepest condolences to the Italian families, friends and loved ones of those who lost their lives in the service of peace.”

What is known about the cause?

The cause has not been determined. EUFOR and the Italian Defense Ministry are leading the investigation, and the ministry says it is too early to draw conclusions. Italian media have meanwhile offered theories. The outlet Open cites an assessment by experts who reviewed video of the crash, according to which one of the two rotors locked up. The paper Gente d’Italia mentions a possible strike on a power line. Neither version has been officially confirmed.

Open adds that the helicopter took off from Viterbo on Wednesday, with a stopover at the Pratica di Mare military base, and that the wind on Thursday was below 5 kilometers per hour. EUFOR again urged the public not to spread disinformation and to rely only on the mission’s official channels for verified information.