A SERBIAN MILITARY helicopter evacuating a five-day-old baby for emergency medical treatment has crashed in heavy fog, killing all seven people on board, officials said.
A four-member crew, two medical workers and the baby were all killed in the crash, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on public RTS television.
The Mi-17 helicopter rushing the baby suffering severe respiratory problems to a Belgrade hospital crashed late Friday near the Serbian capital, the defence ministry said in a statement.
The baby was initially being rushed to hospital in an ambulance, but the vehicle got stuck in a mudslide in central Serbia some 200 kilometres south of Belgrade.
The control tower at Belgrade airport some 20 kilometres west of the capital lost contact with the helicopter at 10:31 pm (2031 GMT) while awaiting clearance to land. The aircraft disappeared from the radar a few minutes later, Vucic said.
Military police have cordoned off the crash site.
The government declared Sunday a day of mourning.
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