At least 5 officials dead in Sudan helicopter crash

KHARTOUM: A helicopter crashed Sunday in eastern Sudan, killing at least five local officials who were on board, state media reported. Witnesses said the helicopter caught fire after hitting a communications tower as it tried to land in a field in Gadarif, which known for its farmland and agricultural projects. Al-Qadarif governor Mirghani Saleh, his cabinet chief, the local minister of agriculture as well as the local police chief and head of border guards were killed, state television said.It did not give details about the circumstances of the crash near the border with Ethiopia, or say if there were any survivors. It said an unspecified number of other people were taken to hospital for treatment, without providing further details.Most of Sudan’s military and civilian fleet consists of old Soviet-made aircraft, and the country has suffered a series of crashes in recent years, with the military frequently blaming technical problems and bad weather. In October, eight people were injured in a collision between two Sudanese army planes on the runway at Khartoum airport, the East African reported.
A helicopter crash in eastern Sudan kills Al-Qadarif state governor Mirghani Saleh and at least four other officials.