A US military helicopter has crashed off the
coast of the southern island of Okinawa,
Japanese officials say.
The Kyodo state news agency said 17 crew
members were rescued, and seven people were
injured.
Japan’s defence ministry said the crash
happened near Camp Schwab, the US Army base
on the east coast of the island.
Kyodo said police confirmed that the helicopter
crashed as it tried to land on a ship at sea. The
exact cause is not yet known.
Reports in Japan said the helicopter was a
UH-60 Black Hawk, which has been deployed by
the US military in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Images broadcast by the Japanese national
broadcaster NHK showed the helicopter, with its
rear rotor severed, on board what appears to be
a cargo vessel.
It is not clear if the helicopter crashed into the
sea or on board the ship.
Okinawa is home to several US bases and
around 27,000 personnel. The deployment is
part of the US-Japan post-war defence alliance.
A new US military base is planned for Okinawa,
but it has been met with opposition by officials
on the island.
Japan said last week that it would put a
temporary pause on construction while talks
with Okinawa officials continued.
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