Taiwan's military chief among eight dead in helicopter crash

A rescue team searches for missing military officers, after a Black Hawk helicopter made a forced landing at a mountainous area near Taipei, Taiwan January 2, 2020. Yilan County Fire Bureau/Handout via REUTERS

TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's top military official was among eight people killed on Thursday, after a helicopter carrying them to visit soldiers crashed in a mountainous area near the capital Taipei, the defence ministry said.

The main portion of the helicopter lay in a northern forest wreathed in mist, its blades shattered, as dozens of rescuers combed the wreck for survivors, pictures released by emergency authorities showed.