No Survivors in Crash of Japan Rescue Helicopter

9 died in training flight accident
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Mar 6, 2017 12:03 AM CST
9 Die in Japan Rescue Helicopter Crash
Rescuers workat the scene of the crash in mountains in Nagano prefecture, central Japan Sunday, March 5, 2017.   (Daisuke Suzuki/Kyodo News via AP)

All nine people aboard a rescue helicopter that crashed in snow-covered mountains in central Japan have been pronounced dead. The Fire and Disaster Management Agency said in a statement that the nine men—seven firefighters, an engineer, and the pilot—were aboard a rescue helicopter that crashed during a training flight Sunday, the AP reports. The helicopter, belonging to Nagano prefecture's rescue unit, crashed on the side of Mount Hachibuse, 150 miles northwest of Tokyo. TV footage showed the mangled Bell 420EP aircraft buried in deep snow, sitting belly-up with its broken pieces scattered around. The cause of the crash is under investigation. (More helicopter crash stories.)

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