France Civil Security helicopter crash leaves 1 dead & 3 injured, says Interior minister

On Sunday, September 12, a Civil Security helicopter crashed in France's Villard-de-Lans town leaving one dead, informed the country's Interior minister Gerald Darmanin. He took to Twitter to inform about the incident which took place at around 4:30 pm local time.

"I extend my condolences to the family and colleagues of the civil defence mechanic who died in a helicopter crash going into intervention with 5 people on board. All my support to the large family of civil security and mountain rescue," he tweeted. The other members of the crew including the pilot and two gendarmes were rushed to the Grenoble University Hospital, stated the prefecture of Isère in a press release, adding that the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained. 

French President Emmanuel Macron also expressed his condolences saying that the nation shares the grief of deceased's relatives. It should be noted here that in a similar kind of incident as many as eight people had lost their lives when a tourism helicopter had crashed last month in Russia's Kamchatka region, according to The Associated Press (AP).

The report further stated that the Mi-8 helicopter, carrying 16 people, had crashed into Kurile Lake on the Kamchatka Peninsula on August 12. The other eight people were rescued by rangers from the Kronotsky nature reserve, who rushed to the crash site on boats. Most of the tourists on the fights were from Moscow and St. Petersburg, said officials adding that rescued people were immediately taken to a local hospital, reported The AP.   

The Mi-8 helicopter, designed in the 1960s, was operated by a local private carrier - Vityaz-Aero. However, following the incident, authorities banned the carrier from transporting any more passengers till further order. An investigation was also launched to ascertain any possible violation of flight safety rules. It should be mentioned here that the company is Russia's one of the biggest local aviation groups that fly tourists to the Kronotsky Reserve. The Kronotsky reserve, known for its beauty and rich wildlife, is one of the major tourist attractions of Kamchatka and helicopters are the only mode of transportation to reach the place, according to The AP.  

Image: AP/Representative Image