A helicopter carrying firefighters from a forest fire crashed in southern Chile killing 14 on board this afternoon. The helicopter had just retrieved the Firefighters from a day's working the fire which is still burning. The Firefighters were young men between the ages of 18 and 25 who worked for a Chilean timber and pulp company known as CELCO.
Our condolences to all affected.
Update: Chilean officials now say 13 people, 12 of them firefighters, have been killed in a helicopter crash. Earlier reports put the death toll at 14.
The helicopter crashed into a hill Sunday in the Maule region south of the capital, Santiago. Authorities say the victims, who were between the ages of 18 and 25, were headed to a forest fire. It was not clear what caused the crash.
In recent weeks, Chile has been grappling with forest fires, mainly in the south of the country, that have consumed thousands of hectares of land.
They may be from Chile but they are still firefighters regardless. Fallen brothers are fallen brothers. My prayers are with them as well...
ReplyDelete