Cop dies in border chopper crash
Date: 22 November 2007
Lee Rondganger and Sapa
A routine crime prevention exercise has turned deadly for a group of soldiers and police patrolling the Lesotho border.
A policeman died and eight others were seriously injured when the South African Air Force Oryx helicopter in which they were travelling crashed 20km south of Wepener in the Free State on Wednesday.
There were 19 servicemen on board - 14 police officers, two SANDF members and three South African Air Force crew.
The police officer, from the Eastern Cape, was declared dead at the scene.
'There were no witnesses on the South African side of the border'
The injured were airlifted to Pelonomi Hospital in nearby Bloemfontein, where their condition last night was said to be stable.
It was not known what caused the crash, but the SANDF has launched an investigation into the incident.
Free State police spokesperson Superintendent Sam Makhele said investigators were searching for people who might have seen the crash.
"There were no witnesses on the South African side of the border. There might have been on the Lesotho side, but we have not been able to find out yet," he said.
A reporter at the scene said the helicopter landed on its side on a small hill about 20m into Lesotho.
The tail had broken off and was lying several metres from the fuselage.
Other pieces of wreckage, including a set of wheels, were scattered around an area of about 60m.
The crash site had been cordoned off with yellow police tape.
Police officers left the scene around 5pm, and members of the Lesotho Defence Force and SANDF were left to keep watch through the night.
Wednesday's crash was the second deadly military-related accident in recent weeks.
Last month, nine soldiers were killed and 14 others wounded during an army training exercise at the SA Army Combat Training Centre in Lohatla, Northern Cape.
The tragedy occurred when a computerised anti-aircraft cannon being used during training went out of control and wildly spat out high-explosive bullets for several seconds.
It is suspected that the gun jammed, and when the soldiers operating it tried to unblock it, an accidental round was fired, causing an explosion inside the magazines.
The SANDF is still probing this accident.
Source: IOL
