1 dead, 4 injured in Czech army helicopter crash

The Czech army had bought eight helicopters and four combat helicopters from the US in 2019

One soldier died and four were injured on Thursday when a military helicopter crashed in the Czech Republic, the army said.

“A Venom helicopter has crashed at the 22nd helicopter base in Namest nad Oslavou. Five soldiers were on board. Emergency services are currently deployed at the scene,” the army wrote on social media.

In a later post, it added that one soldier was killed and four injured in the crash.

“Our absolute priority now is to provide all possible care and support to the injured soldiers and their loved ones. We are also in contact with the family of the deceased serviceman, to whom we are providing all necessary help,” the army said.

The Namest nad Oslavou airbase is located around 200km (125 miles) southeast of Prague.