Firefighter crashes in flames
19/03/2005 15:48 - (SA)
Forte dei Marmi - A firefighting plane from Italy's civil defence
agency crashed into an empty house near the Tuscan coast on Friday,
killing the two pilots and sparking a small fire, an agency
spokesman said.
No one on the ground was injured, Luigi Falcone said.
The plane slammed into the home of an elderly couple who were not
there at the time because the building was being renovated, Falcone
said. The plane burst into flames, causing its fuel tanks to
explode. Five families who lived nearby were evacuated as a
precaution, and the fire was eventually extinguished, he
said.
The Canadair MI-DPCK had left Rome at about 4.30 p.m. (15:30 GMT)
to help fight a forest fire on the hills near the beach resort of
Forte dei Marmi, about 20km north of Pisa, and had twice already
fetched sea water to dump on the fire when it struck electric power
lines, Falcone said.
A helicopter that also was helping fight the fire warned the pilots
"that they had hit the power lines and to aim for the sea," Falcone
said.
Witnesses told the ANSA news agency that the plane appeared to be
experiencing some difficulties and caught fire before crashing into
the building in the tiny village of Ripa, ANSA said.
Falcone identified the two pilots as Stefano Bandini and Claudio
Rosseti. He said the two had recently returned from Sri Lanka,
where they had been sent to assist with aid efforts there following
the deadly tsunami.
SEPANG, Malaysia, March 19 (Reuters) - Toyota's Jarno Trulli choked
back tears on Saturday as he dedicated his fine showing in
qualifying for the Malaysian Grand Prix to a friend who was killed
in a freak accident in Italy.
"I'm shocked because I've just heard the news that a friend of mine
has just died," Trulli said after he was second quickest in the
first qualifying session for Sunday's race in Sepang.
"I want to dedicate this front row to Stefano."
Trulli, then with Renault, dedicated his maiden Formula One victory
in Monaco last year to former race engineer Dino Toso who was
battling a serious illness.
"Stefano was a rescue pilot," Trulli said. "Yesterday there was a
fire I think in Italy and he was really unlucky.
"After landing on the water and taking off I think he has hit
electrical cables."
Trulli posted an impressive time of one minute 32.672 in the fierce
Malaysia heat to split the Renaults of Fernando Alonso and
Giancarlo Fisichella.
