5 crew members of lost military chopper found dead off Japan

By Anadolu Staff

ANKARA (AA) — Five crew members of a military helicopter that disappeared from the radar in southwestern Japan were found dead off Okinawa province on Sunday, said an official statement.

Ground Self-Defense Force (GSDF) teams launched an extensive search operation after the UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter went missing on April 6, while a reconnaissance mission began north of Miyako island.

The helicopter carrying 10 crew members was believed to have crashed into the sea off a southern island.

According to a GSDF statement, deep divers retrieved the bodies of the five crew members from the helicopter wreckage off an island in Okinawa.

The UH-60JA helicopter belonging to the GSDF's Takayubaru military base in Kumamoto province developed a technical malfunction immediately after takeoff, it added.

Debris believed to be aircraft parts was spotted in the area, about 1,800 kilometers (1,120 miles) southwest of Tokyo.

Japan is aggressively building up its defense capability in southwestern Japan in response to China's increasing military activity in the region, including Taiwan, the local Kyodo news agency reported.