Tourist helicopter missing near Mount Aso in Japan

Japanese authorities have launched a search after a sightseeing helicopter went missing near Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture on Tuesday, January 20.

The helicopter, carrying a pilot and two Taiwanese tourists, failed to reach its scheduled destination. The aircraft departed from Cuddly Dominions Zoo in Aso City at around 11 a.m. local time. Shortly after takeoff, emergency services received an alert from a passenger’s mobile phone suggesting a possible impact, News.Az reports, citing foreign media.

Rescue teams have been searching the volcanic region, but no trace of the helicopter has been found so far. The pilot is reportedly in his sixties, while the two tourists are a 41-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman. The investigation and search efforts are ongoing.

News.Az