Police officers and rescuers recover bodies of victims of a helicopter crash on Mama Rosa mountain in Ocongate, Peru, Sunday. The Sikorsky S-58ET helicopter was carrying eight Koreans and three Peruvians as well as citizens of the Netherlands, Sweden and the Czech Republic when it crashed Wednesday on Mama Rosa mountain at an altitude of about 16,000 feet (4,900 meters). / AP-Yonhap

By Chung Min-uck

Family members of eight South Koreans killed in a helicopter crash last week flew to Peru to deal with the aftermath of the tragic incident, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade Monday.

“Altogether 16 family members of the South Korean victims left for Peru and all of them are expected to arrive there today,” said a ministry official. “They will first go through the identification process of the bodies and later discuss how the funerals will be held.”

The ministry said the family members may have to help the Peruvian officials identify the victims by giving them DNA samples.

Officials of Samsung Corporation & Trade (C&T) and Korea Water Resources Corp. (KWRC) including Jung Yeon-joo, vice-chairman of the Samsung C&T also left for Peru.

“More than anything, I am really sad that this kind of incident happened,” said Jung, before taking a flight from Incheon International Airport, Sunday. “I will make utmost efforts to handle the situation well.”

The trip comes as Peruvian rescue officials on Sunday announced that they had recovered the bodies of all 14 people killed in the crash, including those of eight South Koreans.

The wreckage of the helicopter was discovered Saturday on Mama Rosa Mountain at about 4,950 meters above sea level near Coline in southern Peru.

Last Wednesday, the chopper went missing returning from a trip to a potential site for a hydropower plant near Mazuco in southeastern Peru. The South Koreans on board include employees of Samsung C&T, KWRC, Korea Engineering Consultants Corp. and Seoyeong Engineering. Other victims also included three Peruvians, one Dutchman, one Swede and one Czech.

Local police said they will transfer the bodies to a mortuary in the nearby city of Ocongate, about four hours away.

The bodies of the South Koreans may later be flown to Lima, the Peruvian capital, after consultations with the South Korean Embassy there and the families, said Peruvian officials.