PHNOM PENH (XINHUA) – A Cambodian military helicopter, that went missing on July 12, was found in the Cardamom Mountains on Monday, with both individuals aboard confirmed dead, a defence spokesperson said yesterday.
“At 10.30am yesterday, the search team of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) found the body of pilot Sun Phalla at the foot of the Yav Yai Mountain, about 210 metres from the crash site,” Secretary of State and spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defence General Chhum Socheat announced in a post on social media.
According to Socheat, the corpse of pilot assistant Kheng Chhaiyuth was discovered on Monday at around 5pm local time in the crashed chopper.
“I am shocked and saddened by the news of the deaths of the two pilots and pray for their souls to rest in peace,” the spokesperson said.
The search team found the missing helicopter at the Yav Yai Mountain in Thmor Da commune of Pursat province’s Veal Veng district on Monday afternoon after a 17-day search operation.
The helicopter had lost contact with the air force headquarters while flying over the densely forested Cardamom Mountain range in Pursat and Koh Kong provinces during a training flight on July 12 due to bad weather, according to the Ministry of National Defence.
