Washington- US Military Helicopter crashes in Japan
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An American military helicopter burst into flames after landing in an empty field in Okinawa on Wednesday, the Japanese defence minister said, with no injuries reported.
The US military told Japanese authorities that their CH- 53 transport helicopter “landed” before the fire erupted in the early evening just outside a training ground on the island, said Itsunori Onodera.
National broadcaster NHK showed dramatic footage of firefighters battling orange flames after dark and plumes of black smoke billowing into the sky.
“When the US Marine Corp CH-53 helicopter landed, a fire started. We have received information that all crew members were safe,” Onodera told reporters.
Japanese authorities asked the US military to provide a full report and take steps to prevent a similar accident.
“Accidents by the US Marine Corps are continuing. We want to communicate to the US side that we demand safe operations,” Onodera said.