1 missing, 3 rescued after copter crashes

By Zhang Kun (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-13 07:57

SHANGHAI -- A helicopter carrying four people crashed into the Yangtze River near Shanghai soon after taking off from an Antarctic expedition ship anchored in the harbor, leaving three injured and the other missing.

The crashed helicopter from China's Antarctic exploration ship "Xuelong" is lifted from the Yangtze River at Sunday night, April 12, 2009. [Xinhua]

"The helicopter flew up only three or four meters - no more than a minute after taking off - when it crashed," said a worker on a nearby ship carrying mud for a tunnel-building project.

The helicopter was hired by the Polar Research Institute of China (PRIC) for the just-concluded 25th expedition to the South Pole on the Snow Dragon. The aircraft was heading home to Feilong Aircraft Company based in Harbin, when the accident happened.

The helicopter fell into the Waigaoqiao area in the Yangtze River about 70 m from the Snow Dragon at 11:20 am.

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