Ambulance Helicopter Crashes Into Turkish Hospital, Four Dead

A tragic accident occurred in southwest Turkey on December 22, 2024, when an ambulance helicopter crashed into a hospital building, killing all four individuals on board. The helicopter, an Eurocopter EC-135P2+, was taking off from the Mugla Training and Research Hospital, carrying two pilots, a doctor, and a medical worker, when it collided with the hospital's fourth floor before crashing into the ground.

Minutes after lifting off, the helicopter veered off course in dense fog, eventually crashing into a vacant field adjacent to the hospital building it had initially struck. This tragic incident occurs on the heels of a recent helicopter collision during a military training exercise in Turkey's Isparta province, which resulted in the loss of soldiers' lives.

According to Mugla's regional governor, Idris Akbiyik, the helicopter hit the fourth floor of the hospital building before crashing into the ground, but fortunately, no one inside the building or on the ground was hurt. The cause of the accident, which took place during heavy fog, is currently being investigated.

The helicopter was part of Turkey's air ambulance service and was en route to retrieve a critically ill patient from Antalya when it encountered severe weather conditions that likely contributed to the accident.

The victims included two pilots, a doctor, and a medical worker, all of whom were killed instantly. The hospital's chief physician, Professor Dr. Turhan Togan, confirmed that no patients inside the hospital were injured. An investigation into the cause of the crash has been launched, with local authorities working to determine the factors that contributed to the accident.

(Input From Various Sources)

(Rehash/Neha Kamble/MSM)