Mamma Diana had just dropped Vanessa off at nursery when the worst thing happened.
A helicopter crashed, and ended up close to the kindergarten the little girl attended.
FATAL: Remains of the helicopter that crashed in Kyiv on Wednesday morning. Photo: Sergei Supinsky/AFP
14 people died, including one child.
Ukraine’s interior minister and his two closest colleagues also died in the helicopter crash.
– I was in shock
Vanessa’s ward quickly caught fire, but the staff managed to get all the children out through a window.
On Wednesday afternoon, Vanessa was treated for multiple burns and cuts to her face at a hospital in Brovary.
LOOKING AFTER: Big sister joins and looks after Vanessa in the hospital. Photo: Reuters
Mum and older sister were also there as important support.
IN SHOCK: Mamma Diana fortunately got Vanessa back alive. Photo: Reuters
– At first I thought it was a drone. Then I ran towards the nursery and saw that it was on fire. I was in shock. I didn’t know what had happened to my child, said mum Diana to a local TV channel.
The mother also described how the kindergarten teachers heroically got all the children out.
– They took them out through the windows, and then they took them home to their houses, she said further.
She boasted her happiness at being reunited with Vanessa.
Multiple burns
It was busy for the staff at the hospital in Brovary on Wednesday evening.
TRAVELT: Many people suffered burns after the accident. Photo: Reuters
Close to 30 people suffered burns of varying extent.
SERIOUS ACCIDENT: It was busy for the staff at Brovary’s local hospital. Photo: Reuters
– All patients received first aid. We managed to stabilize everyone’s condition. After everyone has received all the necessary first aid, they will be transferred to the appropriate wards, doctor Volodomyr Andriiets told Reuters.
Thought it was a drone
Like mum Diana, several witnesses initially thought it was a Russian kamikaze drone.
– It flew very low. We think it tried to land on a sports field nearby, a local woman told the newspaper Obozrevatel.
So it was not a drone, but a helicopter that would claim 14 lives.
The Ukrainian security service, SBU, is now investigating whether the accident was caused by sabotage, a technical error or a violation of aviation safety rules.
