US military helicopter crashes in Japan’s Okinawa

The United States Air Force say a US military helicopter has crashed in Japan’s southern island of Okinawa.

The US Air Force said in a statement that a HH-60 rescue helicopter crashed in a training area at Camp Hansen on Monday.

The helicopter crashed at a maneuvering ground inside the US Marines camp. Japanese officials say there were no casualties among local residents.

There’s no information about the military crew. Okinawa is hosting more than seventy percent of about 50,000 US forces in Japan.

Japan’s Defence Minister Itsunori Onoder has expressed outrage over the crash and lack of cooperation by the US forces stationed in the region.

“This is really regrettable. We are asking the US side for a speedy supply of information,” Onoder told reporters, adding, “We plan to strongly demand for investigation into the cause of the accident and measures to prevent a recurrence.”

The incident is feared to spark public outrage over the concentration of American military bases on the island.

The American bases on the island are also usually associated with crimes and pollution.

The incident comes at a time of heightened tensions in Okinawa over the presence of US bases there.

Violent crimes committed by US soldiers have prompted calls for relocation of American bases off the island.

Japanese people have been urging their government to remove US military installations from the country altogether.

Tens of thousands of people have held several rallies against the American military engagement in the country over the past months.