SEOUL, Nov. 23 (Xinhua) -- A South Korean forestry helicopter on Monday crashed into a reservoir, leaving the pilot and two crewmembers dead, authorities said.

    According to the Korea Forest Service (KFS), its helicopter was found crashed at a reservoir in Yeongam, South Jeolla Province, about 380 km south of Seoul, with three people dead inside.

    The chopper took off at around local time 10:30 a.m. (0130 GMT)for a two-hour training session, and found the wreckage nearly two-and-a-half hours later.

    The exact cause of the accident is not yet known but under investigation, authorities said.

    The aircraft, KA-32T, manufactured in Russia, was imported to South Korea in 1994, and has been mainly used to fight wild fires.