As it tries in vain to rescue stranded paragliders, a helicopter in Georgia crashes into the side of a mountain and explodes, as seen on video.
In Gudauri, a prominent ski resort that transforms into a hot site for hang gliding and paragliding in the summer, the emergency crew was attempting to assist two persons who were stuck on the cliff face when it collapsed.
Rescue personnel and medics were on board.
Rescue personnel reportedly suffered injuries, according to local media, although MailOnline was unable to independently confirm the reports.
Five individuals were on board at the time of the crash, including two pilots and three rescue personnel, according to APA.
As it smashes into the slope and explodes in a cloud of black smoke and flames, witnesses to the disaster can be heard gasping.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs reported that “a helicopter belonging to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, which was assisting to rescue paragliders in Gudauri, lost control and went down.”
There were paramedics and doctors from the Ministry of Internal Affairs in addition to the helicopter’s crew.
“All the incidental facts are becoming correct, and the Ministry of Internal Affairs will give the public more information,”
Georgia has a history of helicopter accidents, and the UK’s foreign office cautions visitors about the country’s safety regulations.
The Foreign Office stated in its section on travel advice that safety regulations “may not always be effectively observed.”
“For instance, a tourist helicopter crashed at Stepantsminda (Kazbegi) in the spring of 2019 and many people were hurt when a ski lift at Gudauri malfunctioned in March 2018.”
A helicopter owned by a ski resort hotel crashed in the same Georgian location in 2019, resulting in the deaths of three more persons.
Two of them were crew workers, while the third was a Rooms Hotel Kazbegi employee.