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USMC helo goes missing in Nepal rescue ops

CougarKing

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Hopefully the crew is okay...

Foreign Policy

U.S. Marine Helicopter Disappearance Shows Perils of Nepal Rescue Operations

The disappearance of a U.S. Marine helicopter in Nepal shows just how fraught relief efforts in the country, ravaged by a recent earthquake and a series of powerful aftershocks, can be for foreign militaries and aid organizations trying to dig the Nepalese people out of the rubble.

The Pentagon confirmed Tuesday that a Marine UH-1 Huey, conducting relief work near Charikot, Nepal, is missing. Six Marines and two Nepalese Army soldiers were onboard. In a statement, the Defense Department said emergency personnel are responding to the alert.

The Marines’ efforts are part of a larger push to get aid to Nepal, which has been devastated by an April 25 7.8 magnitude earthquake that left buildings in ruin, climbers on Mount Everest scrambling to survive an avalanche, and some Nepalese running into the streets in search of safety. A series of aftershocks, including one Tuesday, only added to the devastation. According to official estimates, 8,151 are now dead.

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tomahawk6 said:
Prayers for a happy outcome.

Indeed, particularly as the Marines were supporting those so badly in need of assistance.

Regards
G2G
 
An update, though no word on the crew yet:

Marine Corps Times

Missing U.S. helicopter carrying Marines reportedly spotted in Nepal

A U.S. military helicopter missing during an aid mission in Nepal reportedly has been spotted, according to the Deutsche Press Agentur news agency. But it will take time to reach the site where it has been located in the Tamakoshi region north of the capital of Kathmandu.

The Huey helicopter was carrying six U.S. Marines and two Nepalese soldiers when it disappeared Tuesday during a mission in a remote mountainous region in Nepal, a defense official said.

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RIP to the crew and passengers.

Military Times

Wreckage of missing Marine helicopter found in Nepal

By Binaj Gurubacharya and Nirmala George, The Associated Press

KATHMANDU, Nepal — Nepalese rescuers on Friday found three bodies near the wreckage of a U.S. Marine helicopter that disappeared earlier this week while on a relief mission in the earthquake-hit Himalayan nation, and officials said it was unlikely there were any survivors from the crash.

"The wreckage of the helicopter was found in pieces and there are no chances of any survivors," Nepal's Defense Secretary Iswori Poudyal said. He gave no details about the nationalities of the three victims, saying only that their remains were found.

The helicopter was carrying six Marines and two Nepalese army soldiers.

The U.S. task force leading humanitarian efforts in Nepal confirmed the wreckage as the missing UH-1Y Huey from Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469.

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My thoughts are with the families and the crew.

RIP
 
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