newswatcher
10th Jul 2002, 09:00
From the BBC:
"A helicopter crash has killed the commanders of both the Cyprus national guard and the island's air force. The aircraft carrying guard commander General Evangelos Florakis and air force head Vassilis Dervenagas went down near Paphos, in the west of the island.
It remains unclear what caused the helicopter to crash.
Three other people on board, two crew members and an unidentified passenger, were also killed. The helicopter was carrying its passengers to a military exercise. It crashed shortly after take-off from the Paphos air base.
It came down into a ravine at Kouklia, whose residents reported hearing a large explosion.
The defence minister is due to make a statement on the incident later on Wednesday. General Florakis, a Greek national, took over the command of the national guard two years ago. It is a conscript force but senior officers are often seconded from the Greek army."
"A helicopter crash has killed the commanders of both the Cyprus national guard and the island's air force. The aircraft carrying guard commander General Evangelos Florakis and air force head Vassilis Dervenagas went down near Paphos, in the west of the island.
It remains unclear what caused the helicopter to crash.
Three other people on board, two crew members and an unidentified passenger, were also killed. The helicopter was carrying its passengers to a military exercise. It crashed shortly after take-off from the Paphos air base.
It came down into a ravine at Kouklia, whose residents reported hearing a large explosion.
The defence minister is due to make a statement on the incident later on Wednesday. General Florakis, a Greek national, took over the command of the national guard two years ago. It is a conscript force but senior officers are often seconded from the Greek army."