7 hurt in Agusan chopper crash

Seven people were injured when a helicopter crashed in Agusan del Norte province Sunday while trying to evacuate a wounded soldier, military officials said.   Maj. Eugenio Julio Osias, spokesman of the Army’s 4th Infantry Division, said the Huey helicopter was on hover position in preparation for landing when it crashed around 10:30 a.m. at Sitio Zapanta in Bangayan village in Kitcharao town.   Hurt in the incident were the aircraft’s two pilots and five crew members. The chopper came from Butuan City.   “This PAF (Philippine Air Force) aircraft crashed while on its mission to airlift a wounded soldier for immediate medical treatment and to deliver additional provisions to operating troops in the area,” said Osias.   Osias withheld the identities of the wounded personnel, pending the notification of their relatives. “All those inside (the helicopter) were injured,” he said, adding that the victims sustained minor injuries and were already in stable condition.   Maj. Gen. Victor Felix, 4th ID commander, said he is “saddened” with the crashing of the Huey helicopter, which he described as “our reliable asset in the conduct of our operations” against insurgency.   “Though the cause of the accident is still unknown as of this time, we hope that the Huey helicopter of TOG-10 (Tactical Operations Group-10) got no serious damage. More importantly, I am relieved that the pilots, their crew and passengers only sustained minor injuries,” said Felix. — KBK, GMA News