Helicopter survivor emerges from jungle in remote northern Myanmar
PUBLISHED : Thursday, 09 October, 2014, 5:17am
UPDATED : Thursday, 09 October, 2014, 5:17am
Associated Press in Yangon
The helicopter was to drop food for a team searching for two Myanmar climbers missing in Hkakabo Razi mountain. Photo: AP
A passenger on board a helicopter which went missing over one of Myanmar's highest mountains has walked into a remote village, saying both pilots also survived but were injured and needed help, organisers of the search said.
The helicopter, carrying only three people, disappeared soon after leaving Putao airport in Kachin state on September 27 to drop food for a team searching for two Myanmar climbers.
It remained unclear if it crashed or made an emergency landing.
But on Tuesday afternoon, the sole passenger arrived in Lan Sar village after travelling "many miles" by foot, saying the Thai and Myanmar pilots were also alive, according to the Htoo Foundation, which has been leading the search for both the helicopter and the missing climbers.
He said they were hurt and still deep in the forest.
A team of experienced climbers, villagers and police were preparing to rescue them, the organisation said.
The helicopter was looking for two climbers who lost contact with base camp soon after reaching the ice-capped summit of the 5,881-metre Hkakabo Razi mountain.
The search for the missing climbers involved helicopters from Thailand, the US and China.
