Yesterday marked the 30th anniversary of the fatal helicopter crash and the deaths of the pilots, doctors, and other crew members who were on their way to Srebrenica in May 1995.
In the evening hours of May 7th, 1995, from the Visca heliport near Zivinice, a helicopter carrying 19 passengers took off for Zepa. Four doctors from Tuzla were traveling to Srebrenica, having voluntarily accepted the call to help the people of Srebrenica: Dr. Sead Halilovic, Dr. Muharem Deljkovic, Dr. Husein Halilovic, and Dr. Dzevad Dzananovic.
At the Igrisnik heliport on the Zepa mountain, where fires had marked the landing site, the helicopter was awaited by the commander of the 285th Mountain Brigade Avdo Palic and Major Dzeva Brgulja, along with a group of fighters.
However, the helicopter crashed near the place where it was supposed to land. Twelve crew members were killed, among them pilots Dzemal Malkic and Enver Cokic, flight technician Izet Dzambic, and doctors Dr. Sead Halilovic, Dr. Muharem Deljkovic,and Dr. Husein Halilovic.
Also killed were passengers Nurudin Mustafic, Hasan Homarac, Avdo Mirvic, Selman Karic, Sabrija Cesko, and Hasiba Salihovic. The remaining passengers were seriously or slightly injured: Ramiz Becirovic, Ejub Golic, Hamed Malic, Mehmed Malic, Samir Karic, Dr. Dzevad Dzananovic, Dzevad Dzebo, Ramo Cardakovic, Numo Krluc, and one-year-old Emir Salihovic.
After the crash of this helicopter, the air bridge to Zepa and Srebrenica was suspended, which later affected the fate of the eastern enclaves. No traces were found on the wreckage of the helicopter that would indicate it had been brought down by firearms.
