Thousands in search for quake copter

2008-6-3

MORE than 10,000 rescuers were searching for a helicopter carrying 14 injured earthquake victims and five crew members which crashed in Sichuan Province, China News Service reported yesterday.

Some teams have enough food and water to last a week as they work almost non-stop in Wenchuan, where the Mi-171 helicopter was believed to have crashed on Saturday.

Chengdu Military Area also sent four helicopters to join the search.

A military officer involved in the rescue work told China Central Television that it was difficult to locate the green-colored helicopter given the vegetation in the region.

Rescuers also have to battle mountainous terrain and search numerous valleys. Most roads in the area were blocked by landslides after the 8.0-magnitude earthquake on May 12, CCTV said.

The Russian-designed helicopter crashed in Wenchuan when it was returning from taking epidemic prevention experts to Lixian County. The tragedy occurred when it encountered thick fog and turbulence near Yingxiu Town.

CCTV said the journey from Lixian to Yingxiu passes several mountains up to 4,987 meters high.

The crew consists of pilot in command Qiu Guanghua, pilot Li Yue, mechanics officers Wang Huaiyuan and Chen Lin as well as Sergeant Zhang Peng.

Senior Colonel Qiu, of the Qiang ethnic group, was selected in 1974 to be one of first minority pilots and was one of the People's Liberation Army's most experienced helicopter pilots, China Radio International reported.

Qiu's hometown was between Wenchuan County and Maoxian County, two of the worst-hit earthquake areas. Qiu's family members had been briefly missing, but all are now safe, the report said.