Sunday 18 / May / 2025
Kauttua: Five people have died after two helicopters collided mid-air in western Finland, police said on Saturday.
Police said the midair collision occurred shortly after noon near the town of Kauttua. The wreckage fell about 700 meters from the Ohikulkutie road.
"Five people died in a helicopter accident near Eura Airport on Saturday," Detective Chief Inspector Johannes Siirila said in a statement.
Finnish police confirmed that three people were travelling in one of the aircraft and two in the other.
The civilian helicopters had taken off from the Estonian capital Tallinn, and were heading towards Piikajarvi Airport in Kokemaki, about 15 kilometres (9 miles) from Eura airport.
Media reports said they were carrying Estonian businessmen.
Finnish and Estonian authorities were cooperating closely, a police statement said Police have sealed off the area near the accident as preliminary investigations were underway. Roads leading to Eura airport have been closed.
"Several rescue units and police patrols" were at the scene, said police, who were alerted to the crash at 12:35 p.m. local time (10:35 a.m. GMT)
The two helicopters involved in the collision were found approximately 100 meters apart in a wooded area near Eura airport.
It was not immediately clear what caused the collision.
Finnish newspaper Iltalehti quoted a witness who said they had seen the helicopters collide during a manoeuvre.
