U.N. helicopter crashes in South Sudan; 3 dead, 1 survivor

JUBA, South Sudan, Aug. 26 (UPI) -- The United Nations confirmed Tuesday that one of its peacekeeping mission helicopters crashed in South Sudan, killing three crew members aboard. One crew member survived.

The U.N.-contracted MI-8 helicopter crashed Tuesday afternoon near Bentiu in Unity State.

A statement from the U.N. Mission in South Sudan issued a statement that "The helicopter, which was on a routine cargo flight from Wau in Western Bahr El Ghazal State to Bentiu, lost contact with UNMISS at 14:28 hours."

An investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. The U.N. made no mention in its statement to speculation that the helicopter had been shot down.

Toby Lanzer, the head of UNMISS, expressed his "heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased and wish a full and speedy recovery to the injured crew member."

South Sudan has been racked by violence since December 2013 when President Salva Kiir accused his fired deputy, Riek Machar, of attempting a coup. Fighting between forces loyal to the two men persists, with the political dispute devolving into an ethnic conflict. Thousands of people have died, and an estimated one million have been displaced.