One dead and seven missing after Japanese helicopter crash

One person died and seven were missing Sunday after an apparent overnight accident involving two Japanese military helicopters at sea, officials said.

A spokesperson for the Japan Self-Defense Force (SDF) confirmed the incident late on Saturday, saying one person was rescued but later confirmed dead.

Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said rescuers “presumably saw part of the aircraft in the sea, and we believe the two helicopters crashed.”

“At this time the cause is unknown, but first we are doing our best to save lives,” Kihara told reporters.

He said the helicopters were “conducting anti-submarine exercises at night.”

Hours later, Kihara told reporters that the rescued crew member “appeared to be dead,” the spokesperson said.

He also said the ministry had retrieved flight recorders and was “analyzing the cause of the incident, including the possibility of a collision between the two.”

The helicopters appear to have crashed during night training off the Izu Islands in the Pacific Ocean, broadcaster NHK reported.

Communications with one helicopter were lost outside Torishima island at 10:38 pm (1338 GMT) and a distress signal was received from this aircraft a minute later, NHK reported.

About 25 minutes later, around 11:04 p.m., the military realized that communications with the other aircraft in the same area had also been lost.

The Mitsubishi SH-60K helicopters of the Maritime Self-Defense Force (MSDF) are primarily based on and operate from naval destroyers.

The MSDF said that since there were no other aircraft or ships in nearby waters, involvement of another country in the incident is unlikely, NHK added. (AFP)