U.S. military chopper drops flammable object in Okinawa
A UH-1 helicopter deployed by the U.S. military in Okinawa Prefecture (Taro Ono)
NAHA--A U.S. military helicopter flying over northern Okinawa Prefecture accidentally dropped a bag containing a flammable item during a training exercise, creating a fire danger, according to the Defense Ministry.
The incident occurred around 4 p.m. on May 13 when a UH-1 helicopter based at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan inadvertently released the bag in mid-flight.
There have been no reports of injuries or damage to residents or property.
The item was described as an 'accessory gear bag' weighing approximately 18 kilograms and measuring about 90 centimeters in length and 30 cm in height.
It is believed to have fallen near the border between the municipalities of Nago and Nakijin.
The bag reportedly contained a signal flare canister and accessories for a life raft. Authorities have urged the public to avoid approaching the object if found and to report it immediately due to the potential fire hazard.
The U.S. military in Okinawa told The Asahi Shimbun that no civilians were present in the area at the time of the incident.
The accident adds to longstanding concerns in Okinawa over the safety risks associated with hosting 70 percent of all exclusively U.S. military facilities in Japan on the island.
In 2017, a window from a U.S. military helicopter from the Futenma base accidentally fell onto a local school playground in mid-flight, narrowly missing dozens of students.
(This article was written by Kazufumi Kaneko and Satsuki Tanahashi.)
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