Egypt says helicopter crash killing peacekeepers in Sinai occurred due to technical failure

CAIRO – 13 November 2020: The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has extended condolences on the death of eight peacekeeping personnel in a helicopter crash in Sinai, saying the incident took place due to a technical failure.

The Thursday incident took place over the Red Sea island of Tiran, killing six Americans, a French citizen and another person from Czech.

“The Arab Republic of Egypt -the government and the people- express their deepest condolences to the governments of the United States of America, France and the Czech Republic, the command of the multinational forces in Sinai, as well as the families of the victims,” the foreign ministry statement read.

The ministry also wished a speedy recovery for the only survivor in this accident, as nine people were onboard.

The US-led Multinational Force and Observers denied any information that indicate the crash was anything except an accident, adding that it will conduct an investigation.

President-elect Joe Biden commented on the incident and wished the surviving American citizen a speedy recovery.

“I join all Americans in honoring their sacrifice, as I keep their loved ones in my prayers,” Biden said in a tweet.