U.S. President Barack Obama, attending a memorial honoring police officers who died in the line of duty, began his remarks on Friday by saying that his prayers are with those whose lives were lost after a U.S. military helicopter crashed in Nepal, with all eight on board presumed dead, U.S. officials said.
"Our prayers remain with the families of our Marines and two Nepalese soldiers, now that the wreckage of their helicopter has been found in a remote part of Nepal," Obama said.
A U.S. search team identified the wreckage as that of the missing Marines UH-1Y Huey helicopter deployed after the Himalayan state was hit by a massive earthquake last month that killed more than 8,000 people.
Crash debris was found 8 miles (13 km) north of the town of Charikot near dense forest and rugged terrain
The Huey went missing while it was distributing aid on Tuesday, the day a strong aftershock hit Nepal and killed more than 100 people.
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Six Marines and two Nepali soldiers were on board when it went missing, after the crew was heard over the radio saying the aircraft was experiencing a fuel problem.
The Huey, an iconic helicopter dating back to the Vietnam War era, was completely destroyed, Nepal's top defense ministry official said.
