Nepal recovers more human remains from US chopper crash site

Nepal Army special force preparing to search for debris of the US helicopter that crashed on May 15, 2015. -- PHOTO: EPA
Nepal Army special force preparing to search for debris of the US helicopter that crashed on May 15, 2015. -- PHOTO: EPA
US Marines attending a memorial service for their colleagues killed in a helicopter accident in Nepal. Nepal has found more human remains at the site where the helicopter crashed during a mission to aid victims of the country's earthquake, the army said on Wednesday. -- PHOTO: EPA

KATHMANDU (Reuters) - Nepal has found more human remains at the site where a US military helicopter crashed during a mission to aid victims of the country's earthquake, the army said on Wednesday.

The recovery was made on May 25, 10 days after the bodies of six US Marines and two Nepali soldiers were found among the wreckage of the aircraft in mountains northeast of the capital Kathmandu.

Nepali media said five people from earthquake-devastated villages in Dolakha district had gone missing after being taken aboard an aid helicopter. It was not known which aircraft they had boarded.

"We have started investigations into whether these human remains belonged to the eight people (two Nepalis and six US Marine corps) killed in the crash or to other people," the Nepali Army said in a statement.

"The army is trying to find out if the US Marine Corps helicopter had any persons other than the military personnel from the two countries," it added.

"The facts will be known only after joint investigations and DNA tests the reports of which will be made public without delay."

The Marines' UH-1Y Huey helicopter disappeared while distributing aid in a remote area of Nepal. The quakes on April 25 and May 12 killed at least 8,676 people.

The cause of the crash is so far unknown.

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