Possible Wreckage Of Missing US Marine Helicopter Found

The defense minister of Nepal, Ishwori Paudyal, announced recently that the wreckage of what is believed to be the missing US Marine helicopter had three bodies in it. The wreckage was already in a burned condition when it was discovered.

The report on the bodies in the aircraft comes after it was discovered on steep slopes along a mountain located east of Kathmandu. Six US marines along with two Nepali troopers were on board the Marine helicopter when it went missing on Tuesday.

While the sighting possible wreckage of an aircraft close to Charikot was confirmed by the US Joint Task Force, it did not release any other statements in connection to the discovery of bodies in the wreckage.

The US Joint Task Force indicated that a combat rescue team and para-rescue teams were still trying to find out if the wreckage was actually the missing US Marine helicopter. Officials at the Pentagon said the aircraft lost contact on the evening of Tuesday as it was providing assistance in the relief efforts followed the massive earthquake last month.

Troops Briefed On Situation - image credit: abcnews.go.com

The crew indicated that it was experiencing fuel problems before it went down close to Charikot, which is around forty-five miles from Kathmandu.

The helicopter was transporting aid to isolated areas following the earthquake that rocked the mountainous nation on April 25. The earthquake resulted to the deaths of thousands of people. Around three hundred US personnel are helping in the relief efforts in Nepal.

The country was hit by another strong earthquake on Tuesday afternoon. The area where the missing US Marine helicopter lost contact was close to the epicenter of the magnitude 7.3 earthquake that hit the country last Tuesday.

Posted by James Fried on Friday May 15 2015, 10:26 AM EST. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0