Six Spanish firemen killed in helicopter crash

[News_Editor]

Six Spanish firemen killed in helicopter crash

2011-03-20 03:24:45 GMT+7 (ICT)

TERUEL, SPAIN (BNO NEWS) -- Six firefighters died on Saturday when their helicopter crashed in eastern Spain as they were traveling to extinguish a wildfire, the Spanish news agency EFE reported.

The regional government said one person survived the crash and was taken to the hospital after suffering a head injury and broken limbs. The extent of the injuries is still to be determined by doctors.

According to informed sources in the regional government, the accident occurred around 13.30 hours in an area difficult to access near the city of Teruel in the Aragon region. They said that at the moment is unclear what caused the crash.

The Spanish President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero expressed his condolences to the families and friends of the firefighters during a press conference in Paris after participating in an international summit on Libya.

According to EFE, this is the biggest accident of this kind in the past 20 years, bringing to 17 the total number of victims in two decades.

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