The deceased bodies of three Vietnamese pilots and the wreckage of their helicopter were found on Wednesday, one day after the aircraft crashed during a training flight in the southern province of Ba Ria - Vung Tau.

According to a source close to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper, the wreckage of the helicopter EC130 was found at the Bao Quan Mountain, located in Tan Thanh District, at around 11:30 am.

The bodies of the three victims have also been discovered being thrown out of the aircraft in different directions.

The helicopter EC130 carrying Captain Duong Le Minh and his two trainee pilots, Dang Dinh Duy and Nguyen Van Tung, took off from the airport in the province’s Vung Tau City at around 7:40 am on Tuesday for a training exercise.

The three lost contact with their operator at 8:00 am after approaching the Dinh Mountain, situated in Tan Thanh District and Ba Ria City.

Nearly 200 people and three choppers have been dispatched to the area to search for the victims as soon as the incident was reported.

The helicopter EC130 is in this photo provided by the Vietnam People’s Army

The Prime Minister has also urged the Ministry of National Defense to assist rescue mission as well as figure out the cause of the crash.

According the Tuoi Tre source, it was difficult to pinpoint the location of the crashed aircraft due to the mountainous terrain and thick vegetation.

Following prolonged and unsuccessful search efforts, a drone was used to scout the area where the chopper was potentially located. 

Manufactured by Airbus Helicopters, formerly Eurocopter Group, the chopper was imported by the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation in March 2015.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!