LISBON, Aug. 30 (Xinhua) -- A helicopter crashed on Friday in the Douro River near Samodaes in northern Portugal, leaving two soldiers killed and another three still missing, Portugal's Lusa News Agency reported.
The pilot escaped the wreckage and was rescued by a passing boat. He is in a stable situation in a hospital and under medical observation, with no apparent risk to his life.
The crash occurred at 12:50 p.m. as the helicopter, carrying six people including the soldiers, was returning from firefighting operations in the northern part of the country.
A large-scale search operation to locate the missing soldiers is underway, involving 122 personnel, 40 vehicles, and two aircraft, according to Lusa report.
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