Third Thai army helicopter crashes, killing three

[News_Editor]

Third Thai army helicopter crashes, killing three

2011-07-24 21:46:34 GMT+7 (ICT)

PHETCHABURI, THAILAND (BNO NEWS) -- Three soldiers were killed on Sunday when a Thai army helicopter crashed near the Thai and Myanmar border. It was the third military helicopter to crash in the same region in the past nine days.

Thai news agency MCOT reported that three soldiers were killed and another was wounded in the third helicopter crash in Phetchaburi's Kaengkrachan district, raising the death toll from all three accidents to 17. It is believed that this accident may have been caused by a malfunctioned engine.

The Bell 212 helicopter from the Hua Hin Wing was on a mission to retrieve the bodies of an earlier Black Hawk crash when it lost balance, caught fire and fell onto a paddy field in Kaengkrachan district, according to witnesses.

Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha has ordered all the Army's Bell 212s taken offline for further inspection while confirming routine maintenance has been conducted as needed for Army aircraft over 20 years old.

On Tuesday, a Black Hawk helicopter crashed inside Myanmar, just opposite Phetchaburi, while conducting a search and rescue mission to retrieve the bodies of five soldiers involved in another helicopter crash on July 16 in the Kaeng Krachan National Park. The wreckage was located just 200 meters (218 yards) away from the first helicopter crash site.

An operation to retrieve the bodies of nine soldiers killed in Tuesday's Black Hawk helicopter crash was completed while the identification process is expected to conclude on Sunday. The transfer of the bodies faced difficulties from inclement weather and challenging topography of the crash site, which is located in a steep valley.

The initial Huey helicopter crashed when it was on a rescue mission to airlift a group of rangers and journalists dispatched five days earlier to arrest suspected illegal loggers in Kaeng Krajan National Park where they had been stranded for five days. The national park is Thailand's largest, and most isolated, and receives some of the heaviest rainfall in Thailand.

Foul weather condition was blamed for both previous crashes.

Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and Prime Minister-elect Yingluck Shinawatra on Sunday expressed condolences to the family of those killed in the crashes.

-- © BNO News All rights reserved 2011-07-24

[Tywais]

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