THREE EUROPEANS AND eight South Koreans are among 14 people still missing after a helicopter was lost in the highlands of Peru.

Snow and fog yesterday hampered efforts to find the vehicle, whose emergency beacon indicated that it was on mountainous terrain, authorities said.

The last communication with the helicopter owned by Cuzco-based Helicusco was late Wednesday afternoon as it headed for Cuzco from the town of Mazuco in neighboring Madre de Dios state, said police spokesman Hector Dulanto.

The helicopter was carrying eight South Koreans, a Swede, a Czech, a Dutchman and three Peruvians, two of them crew members, he said.

Police earlier said the aircraft’s passengers were 11 South Koreans, two Austrians and a Peruvian.

The chopper was flying near Huallahualla, a town located at about 4,000m when communications were lost, said Dulanto, who was in charge of rescue operations.

The Interior Ministry said in a statement that the helicopter’s distress beacon indicated it was near a peak called Apu Colque Cruz in Cusco’s Quispicanchi province.

Dulanto said snowfall had prevented an overflight of the area but that a chopper provided by Helicusco had dropped a police patrol and a high mountain rescue team in the area to begin a search.

“It wasn’t possible to locate the helicopter either by air or ground,” he told The Associated Press. “The area has snow, 30 centimeters or more, which makes walking difficult. In addition, the fog is not allowing air patrols.”

Helicuso did not identify the type of aircraft that was missing. It’s website says it operates one craft capable of such a passenger load: A Sikorsky S-58ET.

An official at the Korean Embassy in Lima said those aboard were not tourists, but were involved in commercial operations.

The official, Kristel Velez, said no more information was immediately available but that two embassy officials had traveled to Cuzco.