According to Colonel Khuc Thanh Du, Commander of the Quang Ninh Military Command, the forces are making all-out efforts to search for the remaining passenger among the five aboard. The bodies of the pilot and three other victims have already been found.
More than 500 officers and soldiers from the armed forces and several local and central agencies, including 300 from Quang Ninh, are joining the search and rescue mission.
Owned by the Northern Vietnam Helicopter Company under the Vietnam Helicopter Corporation, the aircraft encountered the incident at about 5:06pm on April 5 in the sea area of Gia Luan commune in Cat Hai district of Hai Phong city while carrying four Vietnamese tourists on a sightseeing tour of Ha Long Bay, a world natural heritage site.
On April 6, Director of the Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam Dinh Viet Thang said that the corporation has postponed all helicopter sightseeing tours in provinces and cities following the accident.
On the same day, leaders of units and departments of Quang Ninh and its Ha Long city met with families of the victims to hand over financial assistance and discuss a plan to transport the bodies home for burials.
