- Title: MONGOLIA: RELATIVES VISIT SITE OF TRAGIC HELICOPTER CRASH
- Date: 19th January 2001
- Summary: MALCHIN COUNTY, UVS PROVINCE, MONGOLIA (JANUARY 17, 2001) (REUTERS) 1. SLV FAMILY MEMBERS OF NINE CRASH VICTIMS GETTING OFF MONGOLIAN AIRLINES CHARTER HELICOPTER TO VISIT HELICOPTER CRASH SITE (2 SHOTS) 0.13 2. SLV PEOPLE WALKING THROUGH SNOW TO CRASH SITE; SLV CRASH SITE WITH BURNT HELICOPTER PARTS; SCU PART OF PROPELLER AND HELICOPTER WING ON SNOW; MV MONGOLIAN POLICE OFFICER LOOKING AT CRASH SITE (5 SHOTS) 0.42 3. MV MONGOLIAN OFFICIAL EXPLAINING CIRCUMSTANCES OF CRASH TO FAMILY MEMBERS 0.51 4. MV PEOPLE STANDING IN FRONT OF TENTS CONTAINING REMAINS OF CRASH VICTIMS; MV OFFICER GUARDING TENT (2 SHOTS) 1.05 5. SLV CRASH SITE 1.10 6. SLV VFAMILY MEMBERS OF DEAD PRAYING IN SNOW 1.13 7. MV MONGOLIAN POLICE OFFICER GUARDING CRASH SITE; SLV SCATTERED HELICOPTER PARTS; SCU METAL SHARD IN SNOW (3 SHOTS) 1.31 8. MV FAMILY MEMBERS PREPARING TO TIE SYMBOLIC BLUE RIBBONS OF MOURNING ONTO HELICOPTER PART; SCU MOURNERS TYING BLUE RIBBONS ON HELICOPTER PARTS; SCU HELICOPTER WITH BLUE RIBBONS (3 SHOTS) 2.03 9. SLV FAMILY MEMBERS GETTING BACK ON HELICOPTER 2.13 10. SLV CRASH SITE 2.21 ULAANGOM, UVS PROVINCE, MONGOLIA 11. SLV MOURNERS LINED UP BEHIND NINE COFFINS IN MEMORIAL CEREMONY; SCU COFFINS (2 SHOTS) 2.35 12. (SOUNDBITE) (Mongolian) PROVINCIAL GOVERNOR TOOGOO, SAYING "On behalf of the people of this area, we express our deep condolences to all victims of this terrible accident." 2.43 13. SCU STILL PHOTOGRAPH OF B. BAYARMAA, MONGOLIAN PROGRAMME OFFICER FOR THE U.N. POPULATION FUND; SCU BAYARMAA'S RELATIVE HOLDING PHOTO AND WIPING AWAY A TEAR (3 SHOTS) 3.01 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
- Embargoed: 3rd February 2001 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: ULAANGOM, MALCHIN COUNTY, UVS PROVINCE, MONGOLIA
- Country: Mongolia
- Reuters ID: LVADW9BP5QWFPMR8IJ1MYYR7S48M
- Story Text: Family members of the nine people killed in a United
Nations helicopter crash in central Mongolia earlier in the
week have visited the crash site and held a memorial service.
The relatives travelled on Wednesday (January 17) to
the crash site in a specially chartered helicopter accompanied
by the Mongolian Minister of Defence and investigators from
the State Emergency Commission.
Four of the nine killed were U.N officers, including
Sabine Metzner-Strack, the German leader of a disaster
assessment and coordination team; British team member Gerald
Le Claire; Matthew Goodwin, a U.S. programme officer for
UNICEF, the children's agency; and B. Bayarmaa, a Mongolian
programme officer for the U.N.Population Fund.
The nine dead also included two Beijing-based
journalists for NHK (Japan Broadcasting Corp), Takahiro Kato
and Minoru Masaki, and Otgon Bileg, a prominent member of the
Mongolian parliament and former director of the country's vast
Erdenet copper mine.
The other two were a Mongolian photographer and a
helicopter technician.
The helicopter had been chartered by the UNDP to assess
relief needs after freak snow storms killed herders and
livestock and plunged Mongolia into its second consecutive
winter disaster.
The Russian made Mi-8 helicopter, operated by Mongolian
International Air Transport, the national airline, plunged 50
metres (160 feet) to the ground and exploded shortly after
taking off from the remote Malchin county in Uvs province.
Three of the 14 survivors were in precarious condition
after suffering severe burns.
"On behalf of the people of this area, we express our
deep condolences to all victims of this terrible accident,"
Provincial Governor Toogoo said at a memorial service.
The region is part of a large area in Mongolia hit by
blizzards, temperatures as low as minus 50 degrees Celsius and
wind speeds of more than 100 kph (63 mph).
The Arctic conditions threaten the livelihood of more
than a million people in the Mongolian steppes who rely
entirely on livestock for food, transport, heating and income.
Mongolia lost more than three million camels, horses,
goats, cattle and sheep last winter, the coldest in 30 years,
after a severe summer drought ravaged the hay crop used to
supplement winter fodder.
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