Yonhap news agency reported that five persons were killed in a crash of a US-made helicopter in South Korea's Gangwon Province on Sunday.

According to the website, the US-made Sikorsky S-58T helicopter crashed in the coastal county of Yangyang at around 10:50 a.m. local time (01:50 GMT). The place began to emit smoke, and pieces of the helicopter caught fire. A helicopter, 28 pieces of equipment, and 114 first responders and firefighters were dispatched to the area, as per the same sources.

The helicopter, which had been chartered by Japanese officials, was flying around the area looking for fires when the tragedy occurred, according to the news agency.

Initially, just two persons were believed to be on board at the time of the accident: a 71-year-old pilot and a 54-year-old mechanic. Later that day, though, rescuers discovered five dead at the scene. According to surveillance camera footage, all five persons were on board the chopper.

South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo has reportedly directed local officials to do everything necessary to mitigate the effects of the tragedy and assist victims' relatives.

It is worth noting that this is the fourth helicopter crash in South Korea in the previous two years, with all four accidents involving helicopters manufactured by the US Company Sikorsky Aircraft.

An S-76C+ helicopter crashed in April 2021, killing one and injuring another. In an S-92 helicopter accident in April 2022, two co-pilots were killed and a mechanic went missing. A second co-pilot was rescued. An S-61N forest firefighting helicopter crashed in May 2022, killing the crew captain and injuring a co-pilot and a mechanic.