Two soldiers dead after vehicle goes over cliff near Christchurch

By MONIQUE DEVEREUX

Two soldiers are dead and another injured after an army vehicle went over a cliff at Banks Peninsula near Christchurch today.

Soldiers travelling in convoy of six tracks along a precarious Banks Peninsula road made a desperate attempt to rescue their collegues after their Unimog crashed over a steep cliff.

They risked their lives to climb almost 300m down through snow-covered bush but could only help one of the men who had been in the truck. He was pulled from the wreckage, having suffered moderate injuries.

Two other soldiers died in the fall. Their next of kin were notified several hours after the 2.15pm crash but their names have not yet been released.

All were from the Burnham Military Camp south of Christchurch and had been on a routine driver training exercise when the accident happened.

The Westpac Rescue Helipcopter and Canterbury's specialist Alpine Face Rescue team was called in to winch the surviving man to safety but night fall made any attempt to recover the dead mens' bodies impossible. The operation will resume again at first light.

Selwyn District Senior Sergeant Stu Munro, the officer in charge at the accident scene, said although the road was windy and precarious, the stretch where the accident happened was quite straight.

He said it was too early to say if the ice and snow, left by a cold front which blew through Canterbury yesterday morning, had contributed to the crash.

Bossu Rd, where the crash happened, is usually only used by locals and trampers. It was to remain closed overnight with a police and military guard.

Burnham Military Camp has over 1100 residents made up of soldiers and their families.