By ANTARA News/TNA,
Yala : Six Air Force personnel died Wednesday when their helicopter crashed in a village in this insurgency-impacted southern province, an army spokesman said.
Spokesman Col. Akkara Tipparoj said the accident occurred at about 11:40 am when the Royal Thai Air Force helicopter crashed in a village in Yala`s Betong district, killing all six men on board.
The six men included two pilots, two mechanics and two rescue crew, he said.
Initial investigation found that the helicopter experienced engine failure while returning to Pattani after delivering three officers at Betong, Col. Akkara said.
Rescue officials from the southern-based Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) have been dispatched to the scene to gather additional evidence, he said.
Yala, Pattani and nearby Narathiwat province have experienced almost daily violence with some 3,500 people have been killed by insurgents since renewed violence broke out in January 2004.