UN Chief Condoles on Death of Spanish Peacekeepers, Ukrainian Crew Members

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, May 27, 2003

UN Chief Condoles on Death of Spanish Peacekeepers, Ukrainian Crew Members

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday offered condolences over the death of 74 Spanish peacekeepers and Ukrainian crew members in an airplane crash in Turkey.

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UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan on Monday offered condolences over the death of 74 Spanish peacekeepers and Ukrainian crew members in an airplane crash in Turkey.

"It is with deep regret that the secretary general learnt today of the tragic death of 62 Spanish troops returning from service with the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) in Afghanistan and 12 Ukrainian crew members in a plane crash in northwest Turkey," Annan's spokesman Fred Eckhard said in a statement.

The plane crashed into a mountain in northeastern Turkey on its third attempt to land in thick fog, killing all 74 people on board.It was flying from Kabul, Afghanistan, to Zaragoza, Spain, with a refueling stop in the Black Sea port of Tarbzon, Spanish military sources said.

"The troops were returning from having served with ISAF in the selfless contribution to the Afghan peace process," Eckhard said in the statement.

Spain has contributed 120 soldiers to the ISAF in Kabul. Most of the troops are engineers who work in construction and explosive ordnance disposal.

"The Secretary-General expresses his heartfelt condolences to the Governments of Spain and Ukraine and the bereaved families," the statement said.

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