At least seven people, including Americans, were killed after a helicopter belonging to an international peacekeeping force crashed Thursday in Egypt’s Sinai Peninsula, officials say, according to the Associated Press (AP).
An Israeli official said that five Americans were killed in the crash, the AP reported. An Egyptian official said the crash was likely caused by a technical failure. Both officials spoke on condition of anonymity, according to the AP.
Five Americans among seven dead in Sinai helicopter crash, officials say https://t.co/qgK9nqogR4
— Chad Garland (@chadgarland) November 12, 2020
A French national and a Czech citizen were also among the dead, an Israeli source told AFP, according to i24.(RELATED: Israel Unveils Surveillance System To Track Masks, Social Distancing)
The helicopter belonged to the Multinational Force & Observers (MFO), which is headquartered in Rome and was created under a 1979 agreement by Israel and Egypt to supervise part of the peace treaty between the two nations, according to i24.
Brad Lynch, an official with the MFO, reportedly said the group was “actively investigating an incident involving one of our helicopters today,” i24 reported.