Update: Minister of National Defense Tea Seiha confirmed on Sunday morning that relevant units are continuing to search for the helicopter that went missing on July 12, 2024. It carried two air force military officers, not seven as previously reported by a few publications and social media.
According to Seiha, the training exercise commenced at Phnom Penh and covered the Thmar Da commune in Pursat province, and was supposed to return to Phnom Penh.
The search and rescue operation units are also working with locals and an aerial explorer to locate the helicopter which was equipped with technology tools for operation. The ministry hopes to locate the aircraft today, as search operations moved into the second day since its disappearance.
Seiha also urged journalists and social media users to exercise caution before publishing any information to avoid “exaggerating” the details and wait for further updates, which will be issued by his ministry.
He said releasing information without consideration would lead to confusion and misunderstanding, and cause further distress to the families of the missing officers.
Note: A second update was done at 3:30 p.m, July 14, 2024, following a speech by Minister of National Defense Tea Seiha.
Update: The National Defense Ministry posted a statement on its Facebook page confirming the disappearance of a helicopter due to bad weather. It lost contact with the air force headquarters during training in the Cardamom mountain area located between Pursat and Koh Kong province border.
It added that relevant units have been looking for the helicopter since the morning of July 13, 2024 but there has been no sign of the aircraft as of 5 p.m. However, the ministry said the team will continue its search.
Although there is no confirmation of casualties from the ministry, a Facebook user named Kheng Sreya called on people to pray for his brother Kheng Chaiyuth who may have been on the helicopter.
Pursat authorities have confirmed the disappearance of a helicopter in Pursat province on Friday and are currently conducting a search and rescue operation. Further details have not been shared but unconfirmed reports say that seven people might have been onboard the aircraft.
The Ministry of National Defense on Saturday morning posted the news of the disappearance on its Facebook page, but deleted it after a while. According to the post which was viewed by CamboJA News, the ministry’s secretary of state Moeng Samphan deployed troops from the transport brigade 99 and brigade 70 to locate the helicopter in Veal Veng district.
Veal Veng district governor Theang Leng told CamboJA News on Saturday morning that, “It was really missing and we are looking for it now. I received the news after this incident […] found out last night.”
“The national team came and divided the work. I will cooperate to lead the district unit command force in the search and rescue [operation], so I do not have the [further] details of the work.”
He added, “From what I’ve heard from people, there were about seven people [in the helicopter].”
Leng said the location of the aircraft’s disappearance might be around the Ghost Mountain area on the border of Anlong Reap commune in Veal Veng district.
Pursat provincial governor Khoy Rida also confirmed the disappearance but could not provide further information and referred reporters to the Ministry of National Defense.
The Royal Cambodian Armed Forces (RCAF) deputy commander Ith Sarath said he did not know about the disappearance and asked the reporter “who posted the statement”.
National Defense Ministry secretary of state Moeng Samphan, ministry spokesperson Chhum Socheat, RCAF general headquarters spokesperson Thong Solimo, and RCAF commander-in-chief Vong Pisen could not be reached for comment.
In July 2014, a military Z-9 helicopter crashed during a rescue exercise on the outskirts in Phnom Penh, killing four military officers.
Noted: This article was updated at 5:15 p.m, July 13, 2024, following the statement by the Ministry of National Defense.
