Medical helicopter crashes in western Turkey, killing four

A medical helicopter has crashed into Turkey's western Muğla Training and Research Hospital during takeoff, killing two pilots, a doctor, and a healthcare worker. Authorities have stated that heavy fog likely contributed to the crash.

Sunday December 22 2024 05:48 pm

Duvar English

A medical helicopter on Dec. 22 crashed into a public hospital building in Turkey’s western Muğla province shortly after takeoff. Its four passengers, pilots Tamer Gönül and Bayram Çıtak, Dr. Cengiz Coşkun, and healthcare worker Selçuk Saykal, died upon impact.

Muğla Governor İdris Akbıyık confirmed the deaths. Speaking outside the Training and Research Hospital, Akbıyık said that the medical helicopter operated by the Health Ministry collided with the hospital’s fourth floor and crashed due to heavy fog.

The governor added that the exact cause of the accident was under investigation. Initial information indicated that the helicopter was heading to the southern province of Antalya.

The helicopter crashed into a meeting room on the fourth floor of the hospital, which was empty at the time of the accident, decreasing the casualties. No damage occurred inside the hospital except for broken glass.