ISRAEL: 2 MILITARY HELICOPTERS COLLIDE IN HEAVY FOG KILLING AT LEAST 70

Описание: (4 Feb 1997) Natural Sound

Two military transport helicopters en route to Lebanon collided in heavy fog and rain in northern Israel on Tuesday night, killing at least 70 soldiers.

Officials described the crash as the worst air disaster in Israel's military history.

The worst previous accident was a 1977 helicopter crash that claimed 54 lives.

Dozens of rescue workers raced to the scene after the crash which took place at 7 p.m. local time (1700 GMT) at the Shaar Yeshuv moshav, a communal settlement in eastern Galilee, five miles east of Kiryat Shemona.

A bright white explosion lit the night sky as the Sikorsky helicopters - which normally carry about 30 troops, including the crew - crashed to the ground.

One of the helicopters crashed into an empty guesthouse, which burst into flames and the other into a building site.

But no residents from the settlement were reported hurt.

Israeli radios began playing sombre music as they traditionally do when soldiers have been killed.

Officials described the crash as the worst air disaster in Israel's military history - killing more than the worst previous accident, a 1977 helicopter crash that claimed 54 lives.

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