There was a helicopter crash over the Pacific Ocean at a location near Japan on Saturday night. It is thought that two choppers collided close to Torishima Island, which is around 600 km to the south of Japan’s capital, Tokyo.
The two were navy choppers on routine training. One of them belongs to a Nagasaki airbase, and the other to a Tokushima airbase
One person was immediately confirmed dead, and a rescue operation was taking place on Sunday. According to Japan’s Minister of Defense, Minoru Kihara, seven people were still missing by Sunday morning.
The search for the missing personnel has been escalated, with the government deploying 12 warships to be backed by 7 aircrafts and patrol boats.
Another Aircraft Crash in Early 2024
On January 2nd, 2024, a Japanese jet crashed onto an aircraft at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport before catching fire.
Fortunately, all the passengers onboard the jet – 379 of them – were safely evacuated. However, it was sad that the country’s coastguard lost 5 members, all of whom were inside the aircraft the jet hit on landing.
Other times when aircraft accidents have occurred in Japan, it has been owing to foggy weather, which causes poor visibility especially at night.
Japan Trains in Anticipation to Counter Possible Attacks from China
In the last couple of years, the Japanese navy has taken its exercises and drills more seriously. The navy’s intention is to prepare to counter potential attempts by China to invade Japanese islands.
China has, in the past, attempted to lay claims on islands within the Pacific Ocean as well as the East China Sea, normally under Japanese jurisdiction. In this light, the Japanese navy’s drills are likely to continue despite Saturday’s unfortunate crash.