President Nicolae Timofti, Prime Minister Pavel Filip, Speaker of Parliament Andrian Candu and other state officials left messages in the condolence book in memory of the victims of the SMURD helicopter crash of June 2. The officials laid flowers in front of the Embassy of Romania in Chisinau, where the condolence book was opened, IPN reports.
Nicolae Timofti laid flowers and signed in the condolence book, but didn’t make statements for the press. Afterward, the presidential press service made public the President’s message. “In these hard moments, in the name of the people of the Republic of Moldova and in my name, I express out compassion in connection with the tragic loss of the SMURD heroes, who devoted themselves to saving lives up to the last moment,” says the message.
Pavel Filip and Andrian Candu also transmitted messages of regret and assured that the Moldovan authorities will be making every effort to investigate this case, and invited the Romanian side to join them in. Possibilities are being considered for providing financial assistance to the relatives of the SMURD team members. Commemorative plaques could be placed in memory of the four crew members.
Flowers in memory of the helicopter crash victims were also laid by Mayor of Chisinau Dorin Chirtoaca. He said that the death of the SMURD team is as painful as the loss of a close person. “They did only good things throughout their lives and saved others, but could not save themselves. A security system should be thought up for them,” added Dorin Chirtoaca.
A moment’s silence was observed at 12 noon to remember the SMURD employees who died in the line of duty. The firefighters turned on the sirens at the same hour.
The helicopter of Romania’s SMURD (Mobile Emergency Service for Resuscitation and Extrication) with four crew members on board crashed near Haragas village of Cantemir district in the afternoon of June 2. The pilot, copilot, doctor and the nurse died while heading for Cahul to take a patient.
President Nicolae Timofti signed a decree by which June 3 was declared a national day of mourning for the killed members of the SMURD team.
