'Utterly heartbreaking': Three dead after medical helicopter crashes in Japan

TOKYO: A medical helicopter crashed into the sea off southwestern Japan killing three of the six people on board, the coast guard said on Monday. 

The medical helicopter took off from Tsushima Island in the Nagasaki region and was headed to a hospital in Fukuoka city on Sunday afternoon. 

The hospital's head, Ryuji Tominaga, told the reporters that the crash was "utterly heartbreaking" .

A few hours after losing communication, the six passengers were found by a patrol ship along with the helicopter.

A few hours after losing communication, the six passengers were found by a patrol ship along with the helicopter.

The 86-year-old patient, her 68-year-old family member and a 34-year-old doctor were unresponsive and later confirmed dead, the Japan's coast guard said.

The other three people, found holding on to the helicopter, were conscious, it added.

An official from the helicopter operator said on Monday that the pilot and mechanic on board were both experienced and that the weather did not appear to be a problem for the flight.

The national Maritime Safety Committee will carry out investigations, he added.

According to the Asahi Shimbun daily, a helicopter operated by the same company crashed into farmland in the Fukuoka region, killing two people on board, in July last year.