Helicopter missing in mountains of Peru

[jide ibidapo]

Search under way after helicopter with 14 people on board, including eight South Koreans, disappears over the Andes.

A helicopter carrying 14 people including eight South Koreans and citizens from the Czech Republic, Sweden and the Netherlands has gone missing in the mountains of southern Peru, officials have said.

The aircraft left the city of Mazuco in the southeastern region of Madre de Dios late on Wednesday and set off across the Andes for the tourist hub of Cusco, but never showed up at its destination.

Officials voiced hope that it had made an emergency landing in the remote Hualla Hualla region, which is at an altitude of 4,725 metres, about 140km from Cusco.

Yashinga Tuez, a spokeswoman for the HeliCusco company that operated the flight, told the AFP news agency that there were 14 people aboard, two of whom were Peruvian crew members.

"There are eight South Koreans, a Czech citizen, a Swede, a Dutch citizen and a Peruvian," Tuez said.

Earlier, Cusco police chief General Hector Dulanto said 11 South Koreans, two Austrians and a Peruvian national were on the aircraft, but Tuez confirmed there were no Austrian nationals aboard.

The interior ministry meanwhile denied reports the passengers were confirmed dead.

"No national police official has provided such information, as the search and rescue teams have not yet reached the area where the helicopter is believed to be located," it said in a statement.

aljazeera