No survivors have been found from a military helicopter crash that took place earlier this week, Lao defense ministry confirmed Thursday.
The Mi-17 helicopter of the Lao Army's aviation wing crashed on a slope of Mt. Phou Bia in the Lao province of Xaysomboun while en route to the northern provinces of Xiengkhuoang and Huaphan Monday afternoon local time.
The Lao Ministry of National Defence issued a statement Thursday confirming the loss of all four crew members and the remaining 19 personnel onboard. Accident due to poor prevailing weather conditions has been identified as the probable cause in preliminary findings, the statement confirmed.
Meanwhile, search and rescue teams continue to undertake investigation and recovery work at the difficult-to-access crash site.Local conditions featuring heavy seasonal rains and high humidity are serving to hamper efforts in the rugged jungle- covered terrain, with storms forecast for Thursday afternoon local time.
The highest peak in Laos at an elevation of 2,819 meters, temperatures experienced on the densely forested Mt Phou Bia are typically several degrees cooler than those recorded in most locations across the tropical Southeast Asian nation.
The Lao Ministry of National Defence issued a statement Thursday confirming the loss of all four crew members and the remaining 19 personnel onboard. Accident due to poor prevailing weather conditions has been identified as the probable cause in preliminary findings, the statement confirmed.
Meanwhile, search and rescue teams continue to undertake investigation and recovery work at the difficult-to-access crash site.Local conditions featuring heavy seasonal rains and high humidity are serving to hamper efforts in the rugged jungle- covered terrain, with storms forecast for Thursday afternoon local time.
The highest peak in Laos at an elevation of 2,819 meters, temperatures experienced on the densely forested Mt Phou Bia are typically several degrees cooler than those recorded in most locations across the tropical Southeast Asian nation.
Inaccessible by road and deemed unsafe for air access, accident response crews have been chiefly focused on on-ground efforts to reach the site, a source quoted by state-run media Vientiane Times was reported as saying Thursday.
The latest Lao military aviation accident follows another incident in May 2014 in the province of Xiengkhouan where the crash of an airplane resulted in the deaths of 16 of 17 crew members and passengers onboard, including several of the nation's high-ranking officials.
Meanwhile, an accident involving the civilian national flag carrier Lao Airlines saw all 49 crew and passengers perish when the plane pitched into the Mekong River while on approach to the southern city of Pakse during poor weather in October 2013. RSS
The latest Lao military aviation accident follows another incident in May 2014 in the province of Xiengkhouan where the crash of an airplane resulted in the deaths of 16 of 17 crew members and passengers onboard, including several of the nation's high-ranking officials.
Meanwhile, an accident involving the civilian national flag carrier Lao Airlines saw all 49 crew and passengers perish when the plane pitched into the Mekong River while on approach to the southern city of Pakse during poor weather in October 2013. RSS
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