Relief chopper crashes in Nias

Relief chopper crashes in Nias

Associated Press, Canberra

An Australian navy helicopter carrying up to 11 people crashed
on Saturday on the earthquake-devastated island of Nias, the
defense ministry said, and media reported that nine people were
killed.

The navy Sea King helicopter crashed in the afternoon near the
town of Gunung Sitoli, off the west coast of Sumatra, a defense
statement said.

The helicopter was from an Australian navy transport ship that
arrived on Saturday from Singapore after three months of
providing tsunami relief at in Aceh.

Up to 11 people, including the helicopter's crew of three,
were on board, the statement said, without giving further
details.

Head of the North Sumatra information office R.E. Nainggolan
said the chopper crashed in Teluk Dalam, adding that the fate of
its 11 passengers was not clear.

The Australian Associated Press (AAP) -- which had a
journalist on the transport ship, the HMAS Kanimbla -- quoted the
captain as saying nine people were killed in the crash.

Commander George McGuire was quoted as saying two survivors
were airlifted to the Kanimbla for emergency surgery.

"They are in a serious condition with leg fractures and other
injuries," McGuire said. "We believe the rest of the personnel
died."

Defense officials in Australia were not immediately available
for comment.

McGuire told the AAP that the helicopter was ferrying an
emergency medical team to a remote village as part of relief
efforts when it crashed.

Five naval personnel as well as three from the Air Force and
one member of the Army were on board the helicopter. Seven of the
dead were male and two were female, McGuire was quoted as saying.

McGuire said the transport ship was headed toward the crash
site on the southern tip of Nias.

The crew on the Kanimbla cried and bowed their heads in shock
in the ship's mess room when McGuire broke the news that their
colleagues had been killed, AAP reported.