UN investigates peacekeeping helicopter crash in DRC

UNITED NATIONS, March 29 (Xinhua) -- The world body is carrying out a search-and-rescue operation and is investigating the crash of a peacekeeping helicopter in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a UN spokesman said on Tuesday.

The medium-sized Puma aircraft carried six crew members -- all from Pakistan -- and two military personnel -- one from Russia and one from Serbia. They were flying a reconnaissance operation for the UN peacekeeping mission in the DRC known as MONUSCO, said Stephane Dujarric, the chief spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The helicopter crashed earlier on Tuesday near Tshanzu, southeast of Rutshuru in North Kivu province, Dujarric said. There have been clashes in the area between the March 23 Movement (M23) armed group and Congolese government forces in recent days.

The spokesman said an investigation into the cause of the crash is under way.

Bintou Keita, head of MONUSCO, briefed the Security Council on Tuesday on the deteriorating situation in eastern DRC.

In her briefing, Keita said the past three months have seen an alarming increase in M23 activities in North Kivu. On Monday, elements of the rebel group conducted "horrific attacks" targeting civilians in localities near Rutshuru.

Only three months into this year, MONUSCO documented nearly 2,300 civilian deaths in the eastern part of the DRC, she said.