A Japanese military helicopter carrying 10 people has gone missing after taking off from an island in the Okinawa archipelago in southwest Japan, the defense ministry said today.
The UH-60 helicopter was no longer detected by radar around 4:40 pm local time (8:40 am in Lisbon) and is being sought by army and coast guard ships.
According to the Japanese Ministry of Defense, the plane left Miyako Island 40 minutes before it disappeared.
About a dozen soldiers were on board the helicopter, which was about to take off for the exercises, according to the Japanese ministry.
The Japan Meteorological Agency indicated that there was an unstable atmospheric front near the area, although it clarified that the wind and rain were not particularly strong.