TMCnet News
Helicopter Crash in Bela-VistaMaputo, Sep 02, 2009 (Agencia de Informacao de Mocambique/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) -- A helicopter hired by the publicly owned by the publicly owned company Electricidade de Mocambique (EDM) crashed at around 09.00 AM this Wednesday in Bela-Vista, the district capital of the Matutuine, in the southern province of Maputo. There are no casualties from the incident, and only one of the passengers sustained minor injuries in the head and was taken immediately to the Bela-Vista Hospital for treatment. The accident happened when the helicopter with three people aboard, including the two pilots lost altitude falling over a medium voltage power lines that helped to cushion the fall. According Mauelele Paulino, an eyewitness who reported the case by telephone to AIM, the crash apparently, 'was caused by caused by a technical fault in the helicopter during take-off when returning to Maputo". A small fire broke out few minutes after the crash, but was extinguished immediately with the help of the local residents. Meanwhile, EDM has confirmed the crash in a press release received few hours later by AIM. The document states that the helicopter was in another mission to collect payment of electricity bills in Bela-Vista, Ponta do Ouro and Inhaca, all in the southern province of Maputo. EDM also confirms that one of its employees sustained minor injuries during the accident. 'A helicopter hired by EDM, with two pilots and an administrative officer of the company aboard fell onto the medium voltage lines in the area of Bela Vista following a breakdown,' reads the statement. EDM reassures that technical teams are already on the ground working to restore power supply in the region. |