Forestry helicopter crashes, killing three

A Korean forestry helicopter crashed into a reservoir Monday, killing the pilot and two crewmembers, authorities said, according to the Yonhap News.



The Korea Forest Service chopper was found nearly four hours after takeoff at a reservoir in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, about 380 kilometers south of Seoul, they said.

The three were found dead at the wreckage.



The chopper took off at 10:30 a.m. for a two-hour training session and is believed to have crashed around 1 p.m. shortly after it lost contact with the KFS office. The exact cause of the accident was not known, they said.



The aircraft, KA-32T, was manufactured in Russia and imported to Korea in 1994. It was used mainly to fight wildfires.