Two Japanese military helicopters crashed at sea, resulting in one confirmed fatality and seven crew members unaccounted for.
The incident occurred during a nighttime operation, possibly due to a collision, according to a representative from Japan’s Self-Defence Force.
The crash happened late on Saturday, with Defence Minister Minoru Kihara confirming that one person was rescued and later declared deceased.
He noted that rescuers had “spotted what is believed to be part of the aircraft in the sea, and we believe that the two helicopters crashed.”
Kihara stated that the helicopters were engaged in nighttime submarine countermeasures when the crash occurred.
“At this point, the cause is unknown, but firstly we do our best to save lives,” Kihara added.
The Defence Minister also mentioned that flight recorders had been retrieved and were being analyzed to determine the cause of the incident, including the possibility that the two helicopters had collided.
Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported that the helicopters crashed during a nighttime training exercise off the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean.
Communication with one of the helicopters was lost at 10:38 p.m. off the coast of Torishima, with an emergency signal received a minute later from the same aircraft.
About 25 minutes later, the military lost contact with the second helicopter in the same area.
The Mitsubishi SH-60K helicopters involved in the incident are typically deployed from naval destroyers.
The navy emphasized that there were no other aircraft or vessels in the vicinity, suggesting that the involvement of another nation in the crash was unlikely.
Japan has been increasing its defense budget and strengthening military ties with the United States and other Asian nations in response to heightened tensions from China and North Korea.
This recent crash follows an earlier incident in April 2023, when a Japanese army helicopter carrying ten people crashed off Miyako Island in southern Okinawa, leaving no survivors.
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