Two dead in US military helicopter crash

SEOUL: Two people were killed when a US military attack helicopter crashed on a mountain road in South Korea on Monday evening, officials said.

The helicopter, believed to be an AH-64 Apache, crashed in the city of Wonju, 70 kilometres (42 miles) southeast of Seoul, a US military spokesperson told AFP.

"The helicopter was burnt to ashes after catching fire," a firefighter in Wonju said, adding two people aboard died at the scene.



The firefighter said the exact cause of the crash was unknown.

Yonhap news agency quoted police as saying no additional property damage or human casualties were reported.

The helicopter is presumed to have taken off from a US military base at Pyeongtaek south of Seoul, it said.



"I went out after hearing a 'bang' sound twice and saw flames rising into the sky from the side of the road," an unnamed resident was quoted as saying.

Some 28,000 US troops are stationed in South Korea under a mutual defence pact dating back to the 1950-53 Korean War.