Chopper on mission to contain wildfire crashes in Ulsan amid strong winds
ULSAN, March 19 (Yonhap) -- A chartered helicopter carrying two crew crashed near a valley in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Thursday during a mission to contain a wildfire, firefighters said.
The accident occurred at around 3:30 p.m. near the valley in Ulju County after the chopper was deployed to help contain the mountain fire, according to the fire service. Of the two aboard, one was rescued.
Earlier in the day, the country's weather agency issued a strong wind advisory across the nation, including Ulsan, 414 kilometers southeast of Seoul.
The exact cause of the accident is not immediately known.
The city government and county office chartered a civilian chopper and dispatched it to the wildfire scene.
The captain reportedly issued a distress call before the crash. A rescue operation to find the other crew member is underway.
This photo, provided by the Korea Forest Service, shows a helicopter on a mission to contain a wildfire in Ulju County of the southeastern city of Ulsan on March 19, 2020. (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)
(END)
-
(LEAD) Na bows out of PPP leadership race -
(2nd LD) Na bows out of PPP leadership race -
Lawmaker tables bill on mandating nonflammable material in noise tunnels -
(LEAD) N. Korea continues to provide ammunition to Russia in violation of UNSC sanctions: White House -
Over 3,600 'separated' S. Koreans died last year without family reunions: gov't data
-
(LEAD) Two Chinese warplanes entered KADIZ earlier this week: S. Korean military -
S. Korea's childbirths hit record low in Nov. -
TXT's new EP contains members' personal experiences of being tempted -
BLACKPINK meets Brigitte Macron at concert in Paris -
(LEAD) S. Korea to seek normalization of relations with N. Korea this year: unification ministry
