Report: Nepalese families of U.S. crash victims want compensation

The families of five Nepalese civilians who were killed when a U.S. helicopter crashed last month while delivering aid to earthquake victims want compensation from the United States, according to a report.

Authorities had said six U.S. marines and two Nepalese soldiers were aboard the Huey aircraft when it went missing in mountains near the village of Charikot in northeastern Nepal on May 12, but on Friday, the Nepalese army said that five local villagers were also aboard, the Associated Press reported.

At the time of the crash the helicopter was going to a hospital for treatment for injuries they sustained in the magnitude 7.8 earthquake of April 25 that killed more than 8,000 people. The helicopter's wreckage was found on May 15.

The villagers' remains are being kept at Tribhuwan University Teaching Hospital in the capital of Kathmandu, the AP reported.

Purna Bahadur Khatri, whose brother Shiva Bahadur was killed in the crash, said: "We are demanding the United States provide money as compensation or insurance to the families of those killed in the helicopter crash," the news agency reported Monday.

He said relatives will not take Bahadur's remains for cremation until the issue is resolved, and will protest outside the U.S. Embassy if necessary.

"It took weeks for the authorities to even admit that our missing family members were killed in the crash," he said. "We have not had any contact from the U.S. government or our government or if we are going to get compensation."

Amir Katwal, whose father was killed in the crash, said the helicopter had appeared to be overloaded.

"Two soldiers got off and loaded the people, and they all got inside the helicopter that had no seats and was crowded. I was just happy that my wounded father was going to a hospital," Katwal told the AP.

The helicopter, which was part of Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 469 based at Camp Pendleton, Calif., went missing in the hours after a second major earthquake struck on May 12, killing scores of people. The United Nations said the two quakes killed an estimated 8,500 people.

Hundreds of people attended a memorial ceremony last week at Camp Pendleton for the U.S. marines killed in the crash. Paste BN has contacted the Joint Task Force for a comment.