Serbia’s Prime Minister Aleksandar Vucic has declared March 15 as a national day of mourning after a military rescue helicopter crashed while carrying a newborn baby for medical treatment, killing all seven people aboard.
The helicopter came down in heavy fog while trying to land near Belgrade’s airport on the night of March 13.
Four helicopter crew members and two medical workers were killed along with the five-day-old baby.
The baby was being rushed for treatment of live-threatening respiratory problems after an ambulance carrying the newborn was blocked by a mudslide about 200 kilometers south of Belgrade.
Serbia’s Defense Ministry said the country lost its “best pilots.”
The crew and medical workers were considered heroes after rescuing scores of people during heavy floods in 2014.