Helicopter aiding Yezidis in Iraq crashes with parliamentarian, journalists on board

A helicopter carrying journalists and a parliamentarian that was delivering aid to Yezidis stranded on the Sinjar Mountains crashed after trying to take off again.

The Wire reports the helicopter was a Russian-made Mi-17. The helicopter crashed after delivering aid to the stranded minority sect. An Iraqi military spokesperson attributed the crash to the helicopter carrying too many people.

When helicopters deliver loads of water and food to the Yezidis on the Sinjar Mountains, they try to pick up as many Yezidis as possible. The spokesperson said the helicopter was unable to clear a mountain ridge because it was too heavily loaded after taking on too many Yezidis. The helicopter was said to have landed upside down.

The pilot of the helicopter died in the crash. Along with the Yezidis, those on board included an Iraqi parliamentarian who was Yezidi, and two employees of The New York Times.

One of the Times employees was 56-year-old Alissa J. Ruben, the Times Paris Bureau Chief.  The other employee was 35-year-old Adam Robinson, a freelance photographer. Rubin suffered a concussion, broken wrist, and possibly some broken ribs. Robinson said he only sustained a sore jaw and some bumps and bruises.

The Iraqi MP was Vian Dakhil, although her exact condition was unknown, it appears as though she survived the crash. Mashable reports that Dakhil is the only Yezidi parliamentarian, and that her party has said that she will eventually recover fully from her injuries.

Dakhil is credited with bringing the plight of the previously little known Yezidis into the international spotlight. The suffering of that community was a major force behind President Barack Obama's decision to authorize airstrikes against IS.

At the time of the crash, there were not any IS fighters in the immediate vicinity. This allowed the wounded to regroup. Kurdish forces then sent in two helicopters to rescue the survivors and evacuate the wounded.

The Times employees were then evacuated to a Turkish border town called Zakho where they checked into a local hospital to receive treatment for their injuries.