The helicopter carried a total of 16 passengers, including Moon, his 64-year-old wife Han Hak-ja, their two grandsons, and assistants. Fourteen of them were injured in the accident and taken to the center for treatment. But thirteen of them reportedly only sustained slight injuries.

An ambulance carries people to Cheongshim Medical Center after they were injured when their helicopter made an emergency landing and exploded 20 minutes later at Mt. Jangrak in Gapyeong County, Gyeonggi Province on Saturday. Among the injured was the Rev. Moon Sun-myung, leader of the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, and his wife Han Hak-ja. Fourteen others also were on board the chopper.

The Unification Church said the Rev. Moon “was not seriously injured as his seatbelt had been fastened and he held on tightly to the seat during the emergency landing. His wife has muscle pain, but both are in relatively good condition."

The helicopter took off from Jamsil, Seoul around 4:40 p.m. and was flying toward the helipad on Mt. Jangrak near the Cheongshim Medical Center in Gapyeong. The 18-seater S-92 helicopter made by Sikorsky of the U.S. exploded about 20 minutes after the passengers took shelter following the emergency landing.

A heavy rain warning had been in effect in the entire Gyeonggi provincial region from 10 a.m. The area near the mountaintop where the helicopter came down was shrouded in thick fog.

Gapyeong County is home to several facilities by the Unification Church covering a total of some 26 million sq. m, including the main building, a 10-story facility for the elderly with two basement floors, and the Cheongshim Medical Center.

(englishnews@chosun.com )