Japan's Coast Guard is conducting search and rescue operations for a military helicopter that disappeared from radar Thursday off the nation’s southwest islands near Taiwan.
Yasunori Morishita, head of the Japan Ground Self Defense Force (GSDF), said at a news conference Thursday that the Black Hawk is believed to have crashed into the sea after objects appearing to be aircraft parts were spotted in the area.
Officials with the GSDF said the helicopter had 10 people on board and was conducting surveillance activities near the island of Miyakojima, about 400 kilometers east of Taiwan. The aircraft vanished from radar at 4:33 p.m. local time Thursday and has not responded to radio communications.
Japan Coast Guard ships were dispatched, and the GSDF joined the search. A U.S. defense official tells VOA the U.S. military has offered support for the search and rescue operations.
Officials say the helicopter took off from Miyakojima before 4 p.m. and was scheduled to return to the island after 5 p.m.
The Japan Times, quoting the Defense Ministry, reports the helicopter is based at the GSDF’s Camp Takayubaru in Kumamoto prefecture, and two pilots, two mechanics and six crew, all of whom are Self-Defense Forces members, were on board.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida told reporters in Tokyo that the government was putting maximum priority on human life and rescue operations and said the Defense Ministry would be following up.
Some information for this report was provided by The Associated Press and Reuters.
