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Window of US chopper falls, hurts school boy
A window fell from a US helicopter onto a school sports field near a US Marines air base on Okinawa yesterday, the latest in a series of accidents that have fanned safety concerns on Japan’s southern island.
Japan’s central government and Okinawa authorities have been at odds for years over the Futenma base. Residents complain about the unfair burden they carry in supporting the US military presence in Japan.
A 10-year-old boy suffered a minor injury, an Okinawa prefecture official said. The boy was among about 50 children on the elementary school grounds when the window fell from a US CH-53E transport helicopter.
Japan’s Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said: “This sort of incident creates anxiety not only among those involved with the school but the people of Okinawa and should never happen.”
Suga said the government would respond appropriately after getting an explanation from US officials.
The US Marines on Okinawa said in a statement the helicopter immediately returned and reported the incident. “We take this report extremely seriously and are investigating the cause of this incident in close coordination with local authorities,” the statement said.
“This is a regrettable incident and we apologize for any anxiety it has caused the community,” it said.
The Futenma base is surrounded by schools, hospitals and shops, and residents worry about air crashes.
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