TOKYO: An unused lifeboat, a door and other fragments believed to be from a Japanese army helicopter were found after the Black Hawk carrying 10 crew members was presumed to have crashed at sea, officials said Friday.
Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada, apparently struggling to hold back tears, told reporters that none of the missing crew members have been found as the search continued on Friday.
He said he took the accident seriously and would take all precautious for the safe operations of Self Defence Force aircraft. “We will do our utmost for the rescue of the 10 people who are still missing, while continuing to gather information related to the extent of damage,” he said. The UH-60JA Black Hawk helicopter disappeared on Thursday over Japan’s southern islands.