An ambulance helicopter crashed at Libya’s Al-Sarra base while returning from a medical evacuation mission, killing five people, local media reported.

The crash occurred on Monday, about 300 kilometres (186 miles) from the southeastern city of Kufra, according to the al-Wasat news portal, citing informed sources.

Those killed included two members of the military transport service and a hospital nurse from Kufra. The remaining two victims were foreigners, identified as the pilot and his assistant, the report said.

No further details were immediately available regarding the cause of the crash, and Libyan authorities have yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

Evacuation operation

Local media Aviation Today reports the military helicopter was conducting an evacuation operation after a soldier sustained serious injuries in a traffic accident in the remote desert region near Kufra.

The aircraft was carrying two military transport personnel, a medical team that included a nurse, and the flight crew when it went down just before its scheduled return to base.

The report added that emergency response teams reached the site quickly but confirmed that none of the occupants survived the crash.