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Helicopter crash kills 10 Turkish soldiers, including general

The crash killed the commander of Turkey's 8th Army Corps in the eastern Bingol province.

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Rescue workers, soldiers and civilians walk around the wreckage of a military helicopter that crashed on March 4, 2021, near the Turkish eastern city of Bitlis. — HLAS NEWS AGENCY/AFP via Getty Images)

Nine Turkish soldiers and one commanding general were killed in a helicopter crash in the country’s eastern Bingol province on Thursday, Turkey’s Defense Ministry announced.

Three other personnel were injured after ground forces lost contact with the Cougar helicopter around 2:25 p.m. local time, according to the Defense Ministry's statement.

Among those killed was the commander of Turkey’s 8th Army Corps, Lt. Gen. Osman Erbas. Erbas survived the crash but died of his wounds shortly after, state-run Daily Sabah reported.

Rescue personnel and unmanned aircraft were deployed to the scene to recover survivors. Turkey’s Defense Ministry suggested the crash was an accident and noted that an investigation is underway.

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