WASHINGTON (CNN) — A U.S. military helicopter with as many as eight people on board has gone missing in Nepal as marine personnel worked to help the people recovering from the recent earthquake.
Military officials are searching for a marine light attack helicopter that went missing Tuesday near Charikot, Nepal, Pentagon officials said, at around 10 p.m. Japan Standard Time. The aircraft was assisting with disaster relief as earthquake have struck the south Asian nation, which killed thousands late last month. Another earthquake there on Tuesday killed at least 68 more.
“On May 12, at approximately 10 p.m. JST, a UH-1Y Huey with, Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 in support of Joint Task Force 505 was declared missing while supporting Operation Sahayogi Haat,” U.S. Navy Capt. Chris Sims told CNN in a statement Tuesday.
About 300 American personnel are on the ground in Nepal.
The cause of the disappearance was not immediately clear Tuesday afternoon and the incident is under investigation.
