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1 missing, 3 rescued after copter crashes
By Zhang Kun (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-04-13 07:57

Three of them, two pilots - Li Baohui and Yang Hua - and technician Tang Lijun were rescued by the mud transportation ship within 20 minutes, but the fourth, a technician named Yang Yongchang was missing as of last night.

The rescued people were treated at No 7 People's Hospital and reported to be in stable condition.

1 missing, 3 rescued after copter crashes
Thecrashed helicopter from China's Antarctic exploration ship "Xuelong"  is lifted from the Yangtze River at 22:55 on Sunday. [Xinhua] 

About 13 ships were pressed into service for the search, and by 6:30 pm, a sonar system located the helicopter at the bottom of the river.

The PRIC has leased helicopters from Feilong Company many times for its polar expeditions; and three of the four on the crashed helicopter participated in the latest expedition to the South Pole, including Yang, the missing technician.

The cause of the accident has not been determined.

The Snow Dragon returned to its home harbor in Shanghai on April 8 after its mission to the Antarctic, where China's first inland research station, Kunlun, was built on the highest plateau on the South Pole.