Three die in DR Congo corporate helicopter crash

Three die in DR Congo corporate helicopter crash
A Danish army helicopter flies over the scene where a T17 training aircraft from the Danish Air Forces crashed in a field east of Vinderup near Skive, Denmark, on June 29, 2023, injuring two people. (Photo by Morten Stricker / Ritzau Scanpix / AFP) / Denmark OUT

LUBUMBASHI, Dr Congo, July 11 – Three people died when a helicopter owned by a mining corporation crashed in southeastern Democratic Republic of Congo, a source in the security services and a witness said on Tuesday.

The helicopter crashed into a ravine several minutes after taking off on Monday in bad weather at a mine at Kambove in Haut-Katanga province.

All three onboard — the French pilot, a South African administrator and a Polish executive in charge of security — were killed, the source in the security services said.

The helicopter, owned by a cobalt and copper firm called Boss Mining, was scheduled to head to Kolwezi in neighbouring Lualaba province, Francis Lwamba, a company security guard who saw the accident, told AFP.

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