Wreckage, survivors at Taiwan helicopter crash site

Taiwan's top military official was killed in an air force helicopter crash on Thursday morning which killed seven other people, the defence ministry said. Five people survived the crash in mountains outside the capital.

As chief of the general staff, General Shen Yi-ming was responsible for overseeing the island's defence against China, which threatens to use military force to annex what it considers its own territory. The helicopter was flying from Taipei to the northeastern city of Ilan for a New Year's activity when it crashed.