A United Nations helicopter has crashed into the sea off the Sierra Leonean capital, Freetown, killing at least one of the seven people on board, a UN spokesperson said. Margaret Novicki, spokesperson for UNAMSIL, the UN mission in Sierra Leone, said that the helicopter crashed in the sea shortly after taking off from the Mammy Yoko helipad adjoining the UN headquarters late on Wednesday. All the seven people on board were from UNAMSIL and were flying to Lungi, Freetown's airport which lies across the bay, she said. Novicki said that one body had been recovered, but gave no details of those on board. However, an official at Freetown mortuary said that three bodies had been sent from the crash site. Novicki said that rescue operations were on. “There are helicopters flying over the area with search lights and rescue boats have been deployed,” Novicki said. Mohammed, a fisherman, who was part of a rescue team of divers, said that he was on Freetown's Lumley Beach when the accident occurred.
“We could see the pilot. He had just taken off and was flying really low. We saw him gesticulating frantically and then there was a loud bang and the helicopter was in flames before it hit the water.”
Bureau Report