Five members of the Botswana Defence Force escaped death by a whisker on Wednesday when a helicopter they were travelling in crashed on take-off during an anti-poaching operation in the north of the country, army spokesperson Tebo Dikole said on Thursday.
Dikole said the incident occurred near Mombo at Chiefs Island in the Moremo Game Reserve when Écureuil AS-350 helicopter failed to take-off.
“All five BDF members aboard the helicopter survived the accident and are currently receiving medical attention,” Dikole said.
The soldiers were on a mission to patrol the game reserve located in the Okavango Delta.
Botswana has intensified patrols along its border areas in the wake of a surge in poaching activities.
One of the encounters between the army and suspected poachers led to the fatal shooting of five Namibian nationals last month.
JN/APA