At least one soldier was killed and six
remained missing after a French military helicopter crashed off the cost of the
central African state of Gabon, according to media reports Sunday, dpa reported.
Three people were rescued alive, two of them with injuries, from the Cougar
helicopter which had been participating in a joint manoeuvre with the military
of Gabon.
French Defence Minister Herve Morin would travel to the accident site on
Sunday, according to officials of French President Nicholas Sarkozy who said
after the accident that all means available would be used to locate the missing
passengers and crew.
The oil company Total also deployed three ships to help with the rescue
efforts, the French broadcaster RFI reported. The cause of the accident
was not yet known.
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