Nepalese find 3 dead by crashed U.S. Marine chopper

KATHMANDU, Nepal – Nepalese rescuers on Friday found three bodies near the wreckage of a U.S. Marine helicopter that disappeared this week during 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,” said Nepal’s defense secretary, Iswori Poudyal. He did not give the nationalities of the three victims, only saying their remains were charred.

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

A separate team sent by the U.S. Marines said they identified the wreckage as the missing helicopter, the UH-1 “Huey.”

Lt. Gen. John Wissler, commander of the Marine-led joint task force, told reporters in Kathmandu that his team could not immediately identify the cause of the crash or identify the bodies found.

He said extreme weather and difficult terrain hampered his team’s efforts to work at the crash site.