The wreckage of the army's Black Hawk helicopter that crash-landed in a rubber plantation in Thepha district, Songkhla province, on Friday was removed from crash site to Ingkhayuthaboriharn military camp in Pattani province on Saturday night, according to local media reports.
The helicopter reportedly developed an engine problem while flying over tambon Wang Yai, forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing in the rubber plantation at Khlong Yon village with seven people on board.
The seven included Lt Gen Kriangkrai Srirak, commander of the 4th Army Region, two pilots, two mechanics, a cameraman and an aide-de-camp. They were rescued shortly after the crash.
The seven were first rushed to Thepha Hospital, the district hospital closest to the crash site, before Lt Gen Kriangkrai was later transferred to Songklanagarind Hospital in Songkhla.
After the crash, soldiers from the 15th Engineering Battalion in Thepha district and an army repair and maintenance battalion were dispatched to the crash site to examine and salvage the wreckage.
The work was completed at about 7pm on Saturday. The wrecked helicopter was cut into two parts - the tail section and the fuseage.
The parts were lifted by a crane onto articulated lorries of the army and completely covered with canvas before being removed from the crash site to Ingkhayuthaboriharn military camp in Pattani's Nong Chik district.
They were to be further moved to the army aviation centre at Fort Princess Srinagarindra in Muang district of Lop Buri province for examination.
