3 killed as UN peacekeeping helicopter crashes in Central African Republic

As many as three people were killed after a United Nations peacekeeping helicopter crashed in the Central African Republic, Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for the Central African Republic and head of MINUSCA Mankeur Ndiaye reported on his Twitter account.

One person was also injured as a result of the crash that occured at the time of the landing of the Senegalese combat helicopter in Bouar.

Ndiaye sent his heartfelt condolences to the families of the victims.

"My heartfelt sympathies to families and my wish for a speedy recovery to the wounded," he wrote on Twitter.

The information about the cause of the crash was not immediately available.

There were no immediate reports available about the nationalities of those died.

C'est avec une peine immense que j'ai appris le crash d'un hélicoptère de combat sénégalais avec 3 morts et un blessé au moment de son atterrissage à Bouar. Mes condoléances émues aux familles et mon souhait de prompt rétablissement au blessé #Minusca

— Mankeur ndiaye (@ndiayemankeur) September 27, 2019

MINUSCA has more than 12,000 uniformed personnel trying to restore stability to Central African Republic, where mainly Muslim Selaka rebels overthrew the president in 2013, prompting reprisals from mostly Christian militia.