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US military helicopter crashes in South Korea, killing 2

23 November 2015 17:31 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. A U.S. military helicopter crashed in South Korea during a routine training mission Monday, killing both pilots on board, the U.S. Army and South Korean police said, APA reports quoting Associated Press.

The AH-64 Apache helicopter crashed on a road in Wonju, about 130 kilometers (80 miles) east of Seoul, a Wonju police officer said on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to speak to the media about the accident.

Two bodies recovered from the helicopter were severely damaged and officials couldn't immediately confirm their identities, the officer said. He said there were no reports of casualties on the ground.

The U.S. Army in South Korea later confirmed the crash, saying the cause of the accident was under investigation.

"We offer our heartfelt prayers and condolences to the families of the soldiers involved in this tragic incident," Lt. Col. Mark Gillespie, deputy commander of 2nd Combat Aviation Brigade, said in a U.S. Army statement.

It said the identities of the two pilots will be withheld pending notification of next of kin.