A helicopter, believed to be an Air Force of Zimbabwe (AFZ) helicopter, reportedly crashed on Sunday near Chibhero College in Mhondoro.
NewsDay reported sources as saying the incident occurred yesterday afternoon near Chibhero College in Mhondoro.
The crash reportedly occurred in the area where a helicopter carrying President Emmerson Mnangagwa was forced to crash land after developing a technical fault several months ago.
The crash site was attended by top military and police officers who cordoned it off, making it inaccessible. Said a source:
The crash was in the same area where Mnangagwa’s helicopter almost crashed.
The road leading to the accident scene was cordoned off, and no one was allowed there.
We are not yet aware who was involved in the accident, and if there were any casualties.
AFZ public relations officer, Simon Matingwina yesterday confirmed the crash but said the helicopter did not belong to AFZ. He said:
I know about the crash, but it was not our helicopter. I think Mhondoro police attended the scene.
Helicopter crashes involving Air Force of Zimbabwe assets are increasingly becoming common.
In April 2021, an AFZ helicopter, an Agusta Bell AB 412, came down in Arcturus, 30km east of Harare, killing three crew members and a child after it crashed into a house.
Two months later, another chopper, a Mi-35 helicopter gunship, with five aircraft technicians on board crash-landed near Surface Wilmar in Chitungwiza.