The Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force said Thursday that the head of its security unit based in Miyako Island, southwestern Japan, was among those who went missing following a helicopter crash in waters off Okinawa earlier this month.
Six people, who apparently were aboard the GSDF helicopter, have been found on the seabed northwest of Miyako Island. Five of them have been confirmed dead so far.
The GSDF announced that Col. Toru Niwata, 48, and Maj. Hiroki Koso, 34, senior members of the 8th Division based in Kumamoto Prefecture, were among the dead.
It also announced that the head of the Miyako Area Security Unit, Masahito Iyota, was among those still missing.
Details of those who had gone missing had largely been unknown, except that they included Lt. Gen. Yuichi Sakamoto, 55, commander of the 8th Division. In total, 10 people were on board the helicopter.
While Sakamoto's death has not been confirmed, the GSDF said it has appointed Shinichi Aoki as the new commander.
The 8th Division is in charge of the defense of Kumamoto, Miyazaki and Kagoshima prefectures and is one of the rapid deployment divisions that would be dispatched to the southwestern islands in case of contingencies.
Among the far-flung islets, Miyako Island sits around 210 kilometers from the Japan-controlled Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea, which China claims and calls Diaoyu. Chinese government ships have repeatedly entered Japanese waters around the Senkakus, creating tensions.
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