TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A sightseeing helicopter carrying two Taiwanese tourists crashed near Mount Aso in Japan’s Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, with the fate of those on board still unknown.
Tuesday afternoon, Kumamoto Prefectural Police discovered a severely damaged aircraft inside the crater and confirmed it was the missing helicopter after verifying the serial number, per CNA. Volcanic gases prevented personnel from approaching, temporarily hampering the search and rescue operation.
The search and rescue operation was temporarily suspended at 6 p.m. Tuesday and attempted to resume on Wednesday morning. However, the area was shrouded in dense fog with poor visibility, preventing the operation from officially commencing.
Approximately 50 police and fire personnel gathered at a plaza on Mount Aso near the crater around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday to begin preparatory work. Rescue teams must first ensure safety conditions, including checking volcanic gas levels and weather at the site, before approaching the crater.
Bruce Chen (陳銘俊), director-general of Taiwan's representative office in Fukuoka, said Premier Cho Jung-tai (卓榮泰) instructed Taiwan's Representative to Japan Lee Yi-yang (李逸洋) to request that Japanese authorities make every effort in the search, per CNA. Kumamoto Governor Kimura Takashi pledged that the prefecture is doing everything possible to assist.
Kimura also recorded a video message on Wednesday, introducing himself in Mandarin and expressing his condolences. “We are deeply saddened by the incident yesterday in which travelers from Taiwan were involved in the Aso helicopter accident. Just last week, I visited Taiwan and was once again reminded that Taiwan is an indispensable and important partner to Kumamoto,” he said.
He added that search and rescue teams have been operating at the crash site since daybreak. “We sincerely pray that everyone on board is safe,” Kimura said. He pledged that his prefecture will "continue working closely with relevant agencies and do everything in its power to carry out search and rescue operations and provide assistance.”
The helicopter took off on Tuesday morning from the Aso Cuddly Dominion zoo and lost contact near the airspace over Mount Aso. The passengers were identified as a 41-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman from Taiwan, while the pilot is a 64-year-old Japanese man.
