The search is continuing Thursday for a U.S. Marine helicopter that disappeared Tuesday night in Nepal, the Pentagon said.
The six Marines aboard have not yet been found despite more than 20 hours of flight time and 13 additional sorties over the last day alone to search for the missing service members, said Pentagon spokesman Col. Steve Warren.
“The biggest problem frankly is the terrain,” Col. Warren said. “The terrain is extraordinarily rugged. This is in the shadow of Mount Everest to give you some sense of what we’re dealing with there and it’s very difficult.”
The Nepal Army has also deployed a battalion to assist in ground-based search-and-rescue operations, he said.
The Marines were in Nepal to assist in disaster relief after a massive earthquake April 25 that left thousands dead.
The helicopter lost contact near the epicenter of a second earthquake that struck the region Tuesday, CNN reported. Officials have said there is no evidence that the helicopter crashed.
• Jacqueline Klimas can be reached at jklimas@washingtontimes.com.
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