The helicopter that crashed this Friday morning near Goma (North Kivu) belonged to United Nation Humanitarian Air Service. UNHAS planes and helicopters are borrowed by various actors such as UN agencies, NGOs, governments, and journalists. They make it possible to connect areas where traditional companies are lacking. ACTUALITE.CD learns that the damaged helicopter is a MIL-8AMT. This versatile Russian-made machine was managed by the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). The accident took place near Mugunga, about 13 km from Goma.
“A WFP-run UNHAS helicopter (MIL-8AMT) is reported to have crashed this morning in eastern DR Congo – the incident occurred near Goma in the North Province -Kivu”, explained to ACTUALITE.CD, a Source of the UN agency active particularly in eastern Congo.
The same Source add:
“There were no passengers on board and three crew members were injured. The cause of the crash is unclear at this time. An emergency operations team is on the ground to provide the necessary support”.
It was around 9.30 a.m. local time that the population saw a helicopter fall nearly 15 km from the village of Rukorwe, in the Rusayo groupement. The place commonly called Mashanga. It is located in the Virunga National Park (…). There is heavy rain and the area is security sensitive. We expected the FARDC to be able to take the lead and be accompanied by young people to go to the crash site and see how to find the wounded and the dead, if there are any, “said ACTUALITE.CD the President of the civil society of Nyiragongo, Jean-Claude Mambo Kawaya. The area is marked in particular by the activism of FDLR combatants.
Jonathan Kombi, in Goma
Tags: DRCPAM helicopter accident clear moment
