At least four soldiers were killed Monday and five others are missing after a military helicopter crashed into a ricefield in northern Thailand, police said.
Several officers -- including a deputy commander -- were on board at the time.
"They were all soldiers, nine in total, in the helicopter. Four of them died. We are not sure about the other five, they may have jumped out. We are still searching", Police Colonel Khanong Kaita told AFP by phone from Muang Phayao police station.
"We still cannot identify them because the bodies were burnt and covered with mud," said Khanong, adding that access to the wreckage was difficult.
The cause of the crash in Phayao province was still unknown Monday evening.
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