Zoé Pallier edited by Solène Delinger 8:00 p.m., September 12, 2021

The EC145 helicopter crashed while on its way to operation, near the town of Villard-de-Lans, in Isère.

The mechanic of the device is deceased, announced the Minister of the Interior Gérald Darmanin, who will visit the site on Monday, September 13.

The causes of the accident are not yet known.  

A civil security EC145 helicopter crashed shortly before 4:30 p.m. this Sunday near the town of Villard-de-Lans, in Isère.

The aircraft was on its way to a rescue operation in the area when it "crashed to the ground, with five members of the team (crew and rescuers) on board", according to a press release from the prefecture.

One of them, a civil protection mechanic, lost his life.

Rescue operations ended shortly before


7.25 p.m. 

The helicopter in ashes after two explosions

The helicopter had just rescued an injured mountain biker, but on reaching the area, it suddenly lost altitude before crashing. Several witnesses recount the same scene: two explosions which resound, the yellowish smoke, then black. This is what alerted a man who works at the bottom of the slopes and who came to the aid of the team members with other people. "At the beginning, they extricated themselves from the helicopter", he tells the microphone of Zoé Pallier. "They were only two, three meters from the chopper. Afterwards, we helped them get much further when the chopper really caught fire. Fifteen minutes later, another helicopter came to recover. one seriously injured and the pilot, who was upset.The firefighters quickly arrived but thehelicopter was a pile of ash. There had already been the two explosions. After a while, we left because we were no longer useful, "he explains. 

The mechanic of the device died

The seriously injured man, who was urgently recovered by another helicopter after the crash, succumbed to his injuries.

It is Gérald Darmanin, the Minister of the Interior, who announced his death on Twitter. 

I extend my condolences to the family and colleagues of the civil security mechanic who died in the accident of a helicopter going to intervene with 5 people on board.

All my support to the family of civil security and mountain rescue

- Gérald DARMANIN (@GDarmanin) September 12, 2021

Gérald Darmanin has also indicated that he would go there on Monday, September 13.

There are also at least two other seriously injured people, including the Samu doctor who was on board.

The causes of the accident are currently unknown.