Three bodies and the wreckage of the missing U.S. Marine helicopter were recovered from Sindhupalchowk district, the Defence Ministry said. Their identity is yet to be established. Five others on board the UH-1Y chopper, missing since May 12 afternoon, are yet to be found. The search for them has been called off due to adverse weather in the crash site area.
“It is unlikely that there are any survivors at this time,” Lt. Gen. John Wissler, of the U.S. Marine Corps, the commanding general of the U.S. Marine in Nepal, said at a press conference in Kathmandu.
Eight on board
There were six U.S. Marines and two officials from Nepal Army on board the chopper when it lost contact, around 3 p.m. Tuesday, two hours after the second powerful aftershock shook parts of Nepal and India.
Officials are tight-lipped about the cause of the suspected crash. CNN, referring to radio transmissions, said the crew had been having some kind of fuel problem.
The wreckage of the UH-1Y helicopter was found at Ghorthali village in Sindhupalchowk district, some 80 km northeast of capital Kathmandu, Nepal Army said.
The copter had gone to Dolakha district with relief materials after the strong aftershock at 12.50 p.m. on May 12.
Over 30 countries, including India, have helped in search and rescue and relief missions, right since the massive earthquake hit Nepal on April 25.
Meanwhile, police said 117 people were killed and 2,907 injured in the aftershock which was of 7.3 magnitude. Several landslides in Dolakha and Sindhupalchowk — two of the hardest hit districts — have been reported since then. The epicentre was between these two districts.
Similarly, the death toll in April 25 earthquake of 7.9 magnitude and its aftershocks has reached 8,349 and left nearly 17,870 injured. A preliminary estimate by the government says over 300,000 houses and over 20,000 school buildings were destroyed.
Aftershocks have continued unabated, though their frequency has gone down. According to National Seismological Centre, an aftershock of 5.5 magnitude occurred at 7.27 a.m. on Friday. Since April 25 quake, the number of jolts of over 4 magnitude has reached 227 until 3.15 p.m. local time, Friday.
Buildings demolished
The security forces, in coordination with Nepal Army, began demolishing badly damaged and tilted building structures at Balkhu, Swayambhu and Sankhu which the authorities have deemed unsafe, Kathmandu’s Chief District Officer Ek Narayan Aryal told a Parliamentary committee.
