Photo:Xinhua

Divers from South Korean rescue services on Friday located an Airbus chopper which fell into the sea with seven people on board off the disputed islets of Dokdo, called Takeshima in Japan, late on Thursday.

A body was found close to the wreckage, Yonhap news agency reported. The Coast Guard was unable to confirm the report that a body had also been found.

The Airbus H225 Super Puma helicopter, operated by South Korea's fire department, was found in 70 meters of water on Friday afternoon, a coast guard official told a media briefing earlier. South Korea's President Moon Jae-in said he had ordered safety checks for other H225 in service in the country.

The helicopter was carrying an injured person to hospital when it crashed about two minutes after takeoff from the islets close to midnight, a fire department official said. Rescue officials were trying to secure the blackbox and voice recorder to find out what went wrong.

"We are aware that a H225 operated by the South Korean National 119 Rescue Headquarters, has been involved in an accident," Airbussaid in a statement to Reuters.