Searchers yesterday found the remains of the missing Chinese helicopter and people on board in the mountains near the earthquake epicenter town of Yingxiu.

The debris of the Mi-171 helicopter was found in bushes northwest of Yingxiu at 10:55am. Militia and reservists mobilized by the Chengdu Military Area Command found the missing chopper.

Five members of the crew and 12 quake victims were all found dead. A top military official last night revised the death toll in the May 31 Mi-171 crash from 19 to 18.

Five crew members and 12 quake victims were found dead. One person is still missing, said Fu Guozhu, deputy director of the Political Department of the Sichuan Provincial Military Region of the People's Liberation Army.

The missing person, formerly reported as having been on board, did not take the helicopter, Fu said.

Based on the severe damage and terrain, the helicopter might have hit a mountain before it crashed, according to an official with the relief headquarters of the Chengdu Military Area Command.

The military camouflage of the helicopter made the debris hardly visible to the naked eye, military sources said, adding the thick forest in the mountainous areas, along with aftershock-triggered landslides, also hampered search efforts.

An official with the Sichuan Provincial Military Region Quake Relief and Rescue Headquarters said it will take two to three days to remove the bodies, and about 600 soldiers will be involved.

President Hu Jintao yesterday expressed condolences and sent his sympathies to the families of the dead.

Hu, also the Central Military Commission chairman, at the same time expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the search teams, including the troops, militia and reservists.

He urged people to study the heroic deeds and lofty spirit of the military men.

A 130-strong team of militia, forensic experts and epidemic-prevention staff set off from the Aba Prefecture-based relief headquarters and headed for the scene of the crash yesterday afternoon.

More than 100 helicopters were used in the search, while 300-plus rescue teams, consisting of more than 10,000 troops, armed police, militia, reservists and local residents, combed the region to search for the missing aircraft.

Editor: Yan