Seven die as two planes collide in Slovakia

Seven dead after two planes collide mid-air during air show rehearsal in Slovakia

20 August 2015, 1:13pm

1 min read

A part of the wreckage sits amongst the trees as firefighters inspect the site of the wreckage

Two planes carrying civilian parachutists rehearsing for an air show have collided mid-air in Slovakia, killing seven people.

Zuzana Farkasova, a spokesperson for the Slovak firefighters, said the accident which happened this morning saw two aircraft colliding at an altitude of some 1,500 meters with 39 people aboard.

It is believed that a large number of those on board survived because they were able to leap out of the plane with their parachutes attached only seconds before the planes collided.

The crash happened near the town of Cerveny Kamen, some 40km north of the Slovak capital Bratislava.

An ambulance and at least three helicopters were deployed to the crash site, Andrej Hirjak, a spokesman for the rescuers said. The seven victims were confirmed by the Slovak Interior Ministry.