An army vehicle, Aug. 24, 2023, near the site of the crash of the military helicopter the previous day at Hammana in the Baabda district. (Credit: L'Orient Today)
"We couldn't see anything because of the fog. Then, all of a sudden, we saw the fire," an eyewitness to Wednesday night's Lebanese Army helicopter crash told L'Orient Today.
The crash, which claimed the lives of Captain Joseph Hanna and Lieutenant Richard Saab and injured Private Mohammad Saidah, took place on Wednesday evening in a forest between Hammana and Chebaniyeh, in the Baabda district.
The army has thus far issued no comment as to the cause of the crash, publishing only a brief statement indicating that the soldiers were engaged in training at the time of the incident and that an investigation is underway. In the face of Lebanon's ongoing, unprecedented economic crisis, Lebanon's military has struggled to meet the essential needs of its 80,000 soldiers and maintain its equipment.
On Thursday morning, a senior army source told L'Orient Today, "There are ongoing investigations. The causes of the crash have not been identified."
However, local residents and media reports suggest the weather may have played a part in the tragedy.
A sign reading "Chebanieh" in the district of Baabda, on Aug. 24, 2023, not far from the site of the military helicopter crash. (Credit: L'Orient Today)
A local Civil Defense volunteer said, "After the helicopter crash, there was a forest fire. Some say it was an explosion that caused the crash. But it was very foggy that evening."
Thick fog
"We were sitting on our terrace," said a resident of Chebaniyeh. "The helicopter flew past and landed in the barracks. A little later, we heard the sound of the helicopter again, but we couldn't see anything because of the fog. Then, all of a sudden, we saw the fire. Civil Defense rescue workers and military personnel then disembarked, and then we saw ambulances."
On Thursday morning, the crash site seemed calm. A security cordon was deployed. Military vehicles were parked between the pine trees, but nothing more. Charred grass covered the ground where the helicopter crashed, and a few small pieces of debris remained, but not the aircraft.
In the center of Hammana, a few hundred meters from the crash site, the village seemed calm in the early morning.
"Witnesses said there was thick fog and that the helicopter had hit some trees," said a resident outside a café. On his mobile, he showed videos and photos that have been circulating on social networks since Wednesday evening. They show the post-crash fire and the bloodied body of a soldier. "This is nothing new. We see this kind of [military] training almost every day," the resident explained.
"We rushed to help," said another witness. "It's a tragedy when I think of the families of the dead soldiers," he added.
