Three killed in Japan rescue helicopter crash

A helicopter crashed in central Japan on Friday while on a mission to rescue a mountain climber, killing all three crew members, a government official said.

A helicopter crashed in central Japan on Friday while on a mission to rescue a mountain climber, killing all three crew members, a government official said.

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The helicopter's rotors apparently hit the mountainside and it fell 400 metres into a ravine in Takayama, some 240 kilometres west of Tokyo, said Gifu Prefecture spokeswoman Yukiko Ozeki.

The aircraft was sent to save a climber who had collapsed at a height of 3,200 metres.

"It lost balance, crashed and burst into flames," Ozeki said. Two rescue workers who had rappelled down to the ground were unhurt but the climber was later confirmed dead.