Hawaii helicopter crash: Remains of six people found

The remains of six people were found at the crash site who aboard a tour helicopter that went missing in Hawaii, officials said on Friday. 

The sightseeing helicopter which had seven passengers crashed in a remote area when it was nearing the end of an air tour of the island's famed Na Pali Coast.

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"The remains of six individuals were recovered Friday afternoon at the site of the helicopter wreckage in Kokee near Nualolo," the county of Kauai said in a statement.

The victims' identities are being kept confidential until next of kin could be notified. 

The statement added that the recovery mission was suspended on Friday due to bad weather and would resume on Saturday morning. 

"We are heartbroken by this tragedy and we continue to ask the public to consider the sensitive nature of this devastating situation," said Kauai's mayor, Derek Kawakami.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones of all victims," he said.

The reason for the crash was still to be determined. However, Kauai County fire battalion chief Solomon Kanoho said that the area where the helicopter went down witnessed "some very bad weather" beforehand. 

Earlier, it was confirmed that the aircraft from Safari Helicopters was missing at around 6:00 pm on Thursday (0400 GMT Friday).

After the confirmation, the Coast Guard, local police and fire departments and other agencies launched a search to find the helicopter.

(with inputs from AFP and Reuters)