Wreckage of crashed Ugandan military choppers found

Nairobi, Kenya (PANA) - Kenyan rescue workers have located the wreckage of two Ugandan military choppers on the slopes of Mt. Kenya, two days after they went missing en route Uganda to join an African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM), an army spokesman said Tuesday.

The fate of the crew members on board the two helicopters was not immediately known, but the crew of a third chopper were rescued from the same forest Monday.

A Kenyan air force officer, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said the Kenyan air force aircraft involved in the rescue and recovery operations landed at the Wilson airport and immediately flew back to Mt. Kenya region.

“I think the aircraft may have brought some of those who were on board the ill-fated helicopter,” the officer said.

Ugandan air force personnel on board four military helicopters heading to mission area in Somalia’s port city of Kismayu left a Kenyan air force base in Nanyuki, central Kenya, Sunday, but only one aircraft landed at the designated landing area in Wajir late Sunday.

Kenyan Defence Forces Spokesman (KDF) Bogita Ongeri said an air force and an infantry search party were dispatched to carry out a search and rescue operation.

Earlier, Lt.-Col Chris Kasaija, who piloted one of the four choppers, and his six crew members were rescued from the slopes of Mt. Kenya, some 14 km from a forestry command outpost.

The search and rescue mission included ground troops and an air force team that went combing Mt Kenya after one of the four pilots made contact with the control units, Ongeri said.
-0- PANA AO/SEG 14Aug2012