Secured perimeter in the area of German military helicopetus collapsed: Sebastian Willnow / DPA / Profimedia
A German military helicopter collapsed in a river near the city of Grimma, in the east of the country, said a Leipzig Police spokesman on Tuesday for the DPA agency, taken over by Agerpres.
The fate of the pilot or pilots is not known yet, a spokesman for the Fire Brigade in Leipzig district said.
The helicopter disappeared from the radars between 10.00 and 10.30 (08.00-08.30 GMT), the spokesman communicated, citing the control of air traffic. Around noon, canots found scraps of the device in the Mulde river.
According to police spokesman, the Bundeswehr (German army) instituted a military exclusion area at the place of collapse.
The Ministry of Defense confirmed that the helicopter was operated on by the army, and informed that the military were sent to the scene to contribute to the rescue efforts. The ministry did not specify how many people were aboard the helicopter.
At the scene of the collapse, a large amount of kerosene was elapsed. The wreck is in the middle of the river and it is difficult to reach it, explained the spokesman of the firefighters for the DPA. According to him, around 50 members of the emergency teams act first to clean the kerosene, after which they will start recovering the device.
The city of Grimma is located about 25 km from Leipzig.
