Niger: Military helicopter crashes, three crew members killed

Niger’s ministry of Defense announced Monday the crash of a military helicopter and the death of three members of the crew, during a drill.

“This Monday, December 26, 2022, around 10:40 am local time, an MI-17 helicopter of the Nigerien Armed Forces, returning from a routine training flight, crashed while landing on the military runway of Niamey airport,” the ministry said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, all three crew members died on the spot, despite rescue efforts to contain the fire,” the statement added.

The ministry announced investigations into the incident.