At least seven killed in Egypt helicopter crash

At least seven people have died, including several Americans, after a helicopter belonging to an international peacekeeping force crashed in Egypt, Israeli and Egyptian officials have said.

Five Americans died, the Israeli official said. The other victims were a French national and a Czech national and all were members of the military.

One survivor had been flown by the force to the resort of Eilat, Israel, from where he was then taken by an Israeli helicopter to a hospital further north, the sources said.

The official said Israel initially dispatched a helicopter to rescue the wounded, but called off the mission after the deaths were confirmed.

The aircraft, a UH-60 Black Hawk was on a reconnaissance mission and crashed near the island of Tiran, in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, apparently because of a technical failure, the Egyptian official said.

Both Israeli and Egyptian officials said it appeared to have been an accident and there were no signs of the aircraft being attacked.

Islamic militant groups affiliated with the Islamic State group are known to be active in Sinai.

sky news