TOKYO: Remains of what appear to be the bodies of five unidentified crew members from an Osprey aircraft that recently crashed in Japan were found Monday morning, it was learned.

Divers of the US military and the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force discovered the bodies, as well as what is believed to be part of the US Air Force’s CV-22 Osprey transport aircraft, in waters near the crash site off the island of Yakushima in Kagoshima Prefecture, southwestern Japan, according to an informed source.

The discovered aircraft part is believed to be the Osprey’s front end, including its cockpit. Salvage work began Monday afternoon, the source said.

The aircraft, belonging to the US Yokota base in Tokyo and carrying eight crew members, crashed about 1 kilometer to the east of Yakushima at around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday. One crew member was found the same day, but was later confirmed dead. The body was handed over to the US military Thursday.

The SDF, the US military and the Japan Coast Guard had been searching for the missing seven crew members mainly in nearby waters.

JIJI Press