Kodai Mitsui/Kyodo News via AP
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All three bodies have been recovered after a tourist helicopter crashed on a crater of Japan's Mount Aso volcano
The helicopter was carrying two Taiwanese tourists and a pilot when it crashed on Tuesday, Jan 20
The bodies were found with the help of dones, authorities confirmed on Thursday, Feb. 19
Three bodies have been found four weeks after a helicopter crashed on a crater of Japan's Mount Aso volcano.
PEOPLEpreviously reportedthat a sightseeing helicopter carrying three people went missing on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 20.
The occupants were two Taiwanese tourists — a 41-year-old man and a 36-year-old woman — and a 64-year-old Japanese pilot, according toKumamoto Nichinichi Shimbun, theKyodo News AgencyandThe Taipei Times.
Meanwhile, on Thursday, Feb. 19, authorities confirmed that the bodies of the passengers had been found, perTaipei Times, U.K. newspaperThe IndependentandThe Straits Times.
Officials were able to locate the bodies near the aircraft wreckage using drone footage,Taipei Timesreported.
Authorities said they would attempt to carry out a recovery operation of the remains, perThe Independent.
PEOPLE has reached out to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency (FDMA) and the National Police Agency, but didn't immediately receive responses.
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PEOPLEpreviously reportedthat the helicopter left the Aso Cuddly Dominion zoo on Tuesday, Jan. 20, at around 10:52 a.m. local time before going missing near the Mount Aso summit in Japan's Kumamoto Prefecture.
Per the Kyodo News Agency, it was on its third sightseeing trip of the day and had no issues in the previous trips.
The aircraft's GPS was last detected near Aso's crater with fire officials receiving an emergency notification from a passenger's phone at around 11:04 a.m., perThe Japan Times.
Due to harsh weather conditions of strong winds and volcanic gas, rescue teams were unable to reach the site,The Independentreported.
After being informed, family members of the victims agreed that the rescue operation could be suspended due to the safety issues, perTaipei Times.
The last eruption of Mount Aso occurred in October 2021, according toThe Independent.
Mount Aso is located in the Aso-Kuju National Park and holds the record for Japan's second most visited park with approximately 1.18 million foreign tourists visiting in 2024.
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