Bodies Found Near Mount Aso After Tourist Helicopter Crash in Japan

Fire department officials in southern Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan, confirmed on February 19 that they have discovered bodies believed to be those of three people aboard a sightseeing helicopter that crashed near Mount Aso in late January. The helicopter departed from Cuddly Dominion zoo and theme park in Aso city on January 20, carrying two Taiwanese tourists - a man and a woman - and a 64-year-old Japanese pilot. Takumi Enterprise, the helicopter tour service provider, previously stated that the aircraft had no issues in its two preceding flights. While weather reports indicated heavy cloud cover at the time of the incident, the exact cause of the crash remains unconfirmed.