The wreckage of a tourist helicopter that had gone missing near an active volcano in Japan has been located. Authorities searching the volcanic terrain of Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture discovered the aircraft near Nakadake’s primary crater. The missing helicopter, carrying two Taiwanese tourists and a Japanese pilot, disappeared around 11 am local time while sightseeing. A distress signal from the helicopter prompted the search efforts, and a security guard reported hearing a noise at the time of the incident.
The helicopter was expected to land at Mount Aso at 11:10 am after departing from Cuddly Dominion, a tourist facility. When it failed to arrive, a rescue operation was initiated involving helicopters from the tour agency, police, and firefighting teams. The Japan Self-Defense Forces also joined the search. Despite heavy fog hindering the search due to the lack of recent volcanic activity, signals from the aircraft were detected.
The passengers on board have been identified as a 41-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman from Taiwan, along with a 64-year-old Japanese male pilot. Mount Aso, the second-largest active volcano in Japan, is believed to have formed from massive eruptions thousands of years ago. Mount Nakadake, one of Aso’s peaks, features multiple craters, including an active one measuring 600 meters in diameter and 130 meters deep.
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