A woman in her 70s has died after accidentally falling from a helicopter in a rescue operation for Typhoon Hagibis.

A woman in her 70s has died after accidentally falling from a helicopter in a rescue operation for Typhoon Hagibis.

The Tokyo Fire Department has apologized for the accident, saying that rescuers forgot to attach the hook of her safety harness.

The accident occurred at around 10 a.m. on Sunday in Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture. The 77-year-old woman fell from a height of 40 meters, and was confirmed dead after being taken to hospital.

Fire department officials say one person is supposed to attach the hook and another confirms it is securely in place, but the procedure was not followed in this case.
[link to www3.nhk.or.jp (secure)]