A Marine Corps helicopter crashed in Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province, on Tuesday, leaving five dead and one injured, according to the authorities.
Gyeongbuk Fire Service Headquarters said the Surion (MUH-1) carrying six passengers crashed on the landing strip at the Navy’s Sixth Air Command in Pohang around 4:45 p.m. The helicopter was landing when it crashed from 10 meters above ground and caught fire, according to the authorities.
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(Yonhap) |
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This photo provided by the Marine Corps on July 17 shows the MUH-1 helicopter, the Marine version of the KUH-1 Surion. Dubbed Marineon, one MUH-1 chopper crashed at a military airport in Pohang, about 370 kilometers southeast of Seoul, on July 17. (Yonhap) |
Rescue workers arrived on the scene five minutes after the crash, and one passenger was transferred to a nearby hospital, the authorities said. The fire was put out by the military around 5 p.m. One firefighter is reported to have been injured. The helicopter was on a test flight following maintenance.
“The helicopter crashed while it was on its test flight. The military will launch an investigation team to find the exact reasons for the accident,” a military official said.
By Jo He-rim (
herim@heraldcorp.com)