KUMAMOTO, Japan – Wreckage found inside a volcanic crater on Mt. Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture in southwestern Japan was confirmed to be that of a sightseeing helicopter that went missing Tuesday, the transport ministry said Wednesday.
Local police and firefighters are continuing the search for the three people who were aboard the helicopter — a man and a woman from Taiwan and a Japanese pilot.
Lee Yi-yang, Taiwan’s de facto ambassador to Japan, expressed gratitude to the search-and-rescue operations in a Facebook post.
Chen Ming-jun, director of the Fukuoka Branch of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Osaka, arrived at the scene on Wednesday and conveyed thanks on behalf of Taiwan President Lai Ching-te. The families of the Taiwanese passengers arrived in Kumamoto in the afternoon, according to the post.
The helicopter went missing during what was supposed to be a 10-minute flight, after departing Tuesday morning from a zoo in the city of Aso. A heavily damaged object resembling the body of a helicopter was found later in the day on a slope inside the crater of Mt. Nakadake, one of the five peaks that make up Mt. Aso.
Takumi Morioka, president of the helicopter operator, Takumi Enterprise, in Okayama, western Japan, told a press conference in Aso that he is praying for the survival of those on board.
“We will fully cooperate in the investigation into the cause of the accident,” he said.