Serbian Helicopter in Fatal Crash while Evacuating Newborn

A Serbian military helicopter evacuating a five-day-old baby for emergency medical treatment has crashed in heavy fog, killing all seven people on board, the officials said Saturday.

A four-member crew, two medical workers and the baby were all killed in the crash, Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic said on public RTS television.

The Mi-17 helicopter rushing the baby suffering severe respiratory problems to a Belgrade hospital crashed late Friday near the Serbian capital, the defence ministry said in a statement.

The baby was initially being rushed to hospital in an ambulance, but the vehicle got stuck in a mudslide in central Serbia some 200 kilometres (120 miles) south of Belgrade.

The control tower at Belgrade airport some 20 kilometres west of the capital lost contact with the helicopter at 10:31 pm (2031 GMT) while awaiting clearance to land. The aircraft disappeared from the radar a few minutes later, Vucic said.

Military police have cordoned off the crash site.

The government declared Sunday a day of mourning.