![]()
Army
copter in mishap
By Emmy Allio
AN army helicopter carrying journalists had its rotors damaged after it got
involved in a landing hiccup in Pader district
yesterday.
The accident occurred near where rivers Agago and Aswa meet.
The plane, an MI 17, commonly called Surambaya, had flown The New Vision’s Dennis Ojwee, Monitor’s Richard Okech
and a Dutch journalist identified as Arnold to the site of Monday’s
fighting at Opace, south of Lacekocot.
This is where the UPDF’s 65th battalion killed
11 LRA rebels including two lieutenant colonels, one of whom was identified as Opio Makasi of the LRA’s 2nd Batallion of the
Twinkle Brigade.
Ojwee said he had sustained injuries on his left leg.
“Thanks God we are alive. We had feared the worst,” he added.
A statement from army spokesman Maj. Shaban Bantariza said the incident occurred yesterday morning.
“On arrival at the scene of combat where the dead LRA rebels still lay,
the chopper whooped up a cloud of ashes and rubbish from the burnt up area,
causing poor visibility to the pilot.”
He said, “the chopper was about 20m above
ground, the hind rotor cut into some branches and shrubs as the pilot hovered
around to land well, consequently damaging the rotor.”
Published on: Wednesday, 7th January, 2004
---
Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free.
Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com).
Version: 6.0.558 / Virus Database: 350 - Release Date: 1/2/2004
|
<<image001.gif>>
