Missing Helicopter Mystery Over Cardamom Mountains: Cambodia Launches Intensive Search

Cambodia's Defence Ministry confirmed a military helicopter went missing over the Cardamom Mountain range. The helicopter lost contact due to bad weather on a training flight. An intensive search operation is ongoing, with search efforts concentrated in Pursat province. Previous incidents include a 2014 crash of a Z-9 helicopter.

Cambodia's Defence Ministry has announced that a military helicopter went missing while flying over the heavily forested Cardamom Mountain range in the country's southwest. The helicopter lost contact with air force headquarters on Friday during a training flight in bad weather.

An intensive search for the missing aircraft was launched Saturday morning, with efforts focused on Pursat province. The ministry's brief statement did not specify how many people were onboard.

This incident brings back memories of the 2014 crash involving a Chinese-made Z-9 helicopter south of the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh, which resulted in the deaths of two air force generals and two pilots. The cause of that crash remained unclear.

(With inputs from agencies.)