U.S. Black Hawk helicopter makes emergency landing in downtown Bucharest

Firefighters and police officers inspect two fallen street lights following an emergency landing of US military Black Hawk helicopter, Romania, July 15, 2021. Inquam Photos/Octav Ganea via REUTERS

BUCHAREST (Reuters) - A Black Hawk helicopter belonging to the U.S. military made an emergency landing on a Bucharest street on Thursday, tearing down two public street lights and stopping traffic but making no casualties.

The helicopter was part of a group of six which were rehearsing ahead of events to mark Romanian Air Force day and the end of Romanian military presence in Afghanistan on July 20-21. Footage from eyewitnesses show it suddenly losing altitude and flying low above cars until landing nearby in a downtown roundabout which traffic police had cleared.