Japanese army helicopter carrying 10 missing after vanishing from radar
Japan’s coast guard says it is searching for an army helicopter carrying 10 crew members that went missing off a southern Japanese island
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Japan's coast guard says it is searching for an army helicopter carrying 10 crew members that went missing off a southern Japanese island.
The coast guard said it received information that a Ground Self-Defense Force UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter disappeared from radar on a mission Thursday evening in an area north of Miyako island.
It said four patrol ships are participating in the search but have not found any traces of the missing aircraft.
The disappearance near the Japanese island came as the country is aggressively beefing up its defense in the region in response to China's increasingly assertive military activity in the regional seas, where tension is also rising around Taiwan.
Kyodo News said Japanese coast guard ships found traces of oil and debris that may be related to the missing helicopter, but officials declined to confirm the report.
The Ground Self-Defense Force, or Japanese army, said the helicopter belongs to a base in Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's southern main island of Kyushu and was visiting Miyako island on a surveillance mission.
NHK public television said the helicopter disappeared from radar about an hour after it departed from a base on Miyako island and about half an hour before its scheduled return.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said the Defense Ministry is investigating and “We will do our utmost to save their lives.”
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.