Tripoli, 16 February 2014:
Wreckage from an Air Force helicopter which went missing on Wednesday morning minutes after taking off . . .[restrict]from Essider has been found.
There were five people on board the helicopter, believed to be an Mi-35, when it disappeared.
Debris from the helicopter was found near the coast of Essider, in the vicinity of its last known position, when radio contact with Benghazi’s Benina Airbase was lost, according to Libyan news agency LANA.
Yesterday’s find came after extensive search operations conducted by military and security personnel as well as local residents. Members of the Libyan Navy and divers have now been sent to the area to search for more wreckage.
The debris indicates that the helicopter crashed but the cause of the incident is not yet clear. [/restrict]