Rescue workers have still found no trace of the people who were on board a Japanese Ground Self-Defense Force helicopter that went missing five days ago in the southern prefecture of Okinawa.

The helicopter carrying 10 people dropped off the radar last Thursday, about three kilometers northeast of the northern tip of Irabujima Island, near Miyakojima Island.

SDF and Coast Guard personnel continued their search around Irabujima Island on Tuesday. Members of a local fisheries association joined the search.

A sonar-equipped minesweeping vessel and submarine rescue ship belonging to the SDF have been searching underwater, mainly to the north of the island.

The Coast Guard extended their search to the west of the island, using two patrol ships. The fisheries association sent 12 fishing boats.

The SDF and the Coast Guard said they were yet to find any major clues leading to the missing people.

A 60-year-old experienced local fisherman suggests that if the helicopter had crashed into the sea, the wreckage may have been dispersed widely by strong currents. He noted that the seabed in the area can reach depths of 250 meters.