'Debris' from missing Japanese army chopper found as search for 10 crew members continues

Officials say they found folded lifeboats, part of a rotor blade, a door and a window frame in waters near Miyako Island of Okinawa

By Riyaz ul Khaliq

ISTANBUL (AA) – Debris from what seemed to be parts of a missing Japanese army helicopter was found in waters close to the Miyako Islands of Okinawa, near where it went missing with 10 crew members on board on Thursday.

Officials from the Japan Coast Guard say “they have discovered what appear to be parts of the helicopter in waters near where it went missing. They have also found oil floating on the water surface," public broadcaster NHK reported on Friday.

The Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) and Japan Coast Guard are conducting a joint search operation that has "found folded lifeboats, part of a rotor blade, a door and a window frame" in the area "where the accident is believed to have occurred."

“We will continue to make every possible effort in the search for the 10 missing personnel,” Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada told reporters in Tokyo.

The Japanese helicopter carrying at least 10 crew members, including Lt. Gen. Yuichi Sakamoto, went off the radar at around 03:45 p.m local time (0645GMT), around 10 minutes after it took off from a military base on Miyako Island in Okinawa province.

The crew had communicated with air traffic control for about two minutes before it broke off the radar, disappearing around Miyako Island – its scheduled route – while authorities described the weather as “bright with good visibility of over 10 kilometers” and the wind was “mild” for a flight.

The helicopter, which had undergone inspection last month, belonged to the GSDF’s 8th Division based in Japan’s southwestern Kumamoto province.

Sakamoto heads the division.

The missing chopper was scheduled to return by 05:05 p.m. local time (0805GMT).

Images shared by Tokyo-based Kyodo News showed what appeared to be parts of the missing chopper.

“(We) are looking into the possibility that the chopper encountered an unexpected anomaly, such as a defect in the aircraft or a maneuvering error,” said the GSDF, which has a land-to-ship missile unit on Miyako Island.

Miyako Island is some 400 kilometers east of Taiwan and close to Japanese-controlled Senkaku Islands, which are claimed by China and known as Diaoyu Islands in Beijing.

Kaynak:

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