The wreckage of a Cambodian military helicopter that had been missing for more than two weeks was found on a mountaintop in the Cardamom Mountains on Monday, the government and state news agency reported.
The Defense Ministry confirmed in a statement on Facebook that a search flight had found the wreckage of a Chinese-made Z-9 helicopter in a densely forested area of Pursat province.
The helicopter lost contact with Air Force headquarters during a training flight in poor weather on July 12. A massive search was launched the next day.
Military rescue workers at the crash site found the body of one pilot inside the wrecked helicopter, while the body of the second pilot was found about 200 metres away, state broadcaster TVK said.
Photos circulating widely on social media showed the helicopter’s wreckage in pieces and partially covered by leaves, although the authenticity and origin of the photos have yet to be confirmed.
Notably, a similar incident occurred in 2014 when another Chinese-made Z-9 helicopter crashed near Phnom Penh, killing two air force generals and two pilots.
(With input from relevant agencies)