A helicopter from the Australian Defence Force crashed into the water off the coast of Queensland state on Saturday, halting joint military drills between Australia and the United States.
At least four persons are missing in the disaster, which happened late on Friday when the helicopter crashed into the ocean close to Hamilton Island, roughly 890 kilometres north of Brisbane, the state capital.
According to Australian defence minister Richard Marlis, search for the missing helicopter and its four crew began.
He said that at around 22:30 local time (12:30 GMT), an MRH-90 Taipan chopper crashed in the Whitsundays close to the island.
He stated, “We anxiously hope for better news throughout the course of the day. Our hearts and sympathies are very much with the aircrew and their families.
The MRH-90 Taipan went down during drills as part of Exercise Talisman Sabre, the largest bilateral military training exercise between Australian and the United States.
Large-scale actions including air manoeuvres, ground battles, and amphibious invasions were part of the exercises.
It was expected to wrap up by 4 August.
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