Death toll reaches 3 in Indian Army chopper crash
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
uwahati, India, Aug 18, IRNA -- Three Indian army officers were killed, including two pilots, when a helicopter they were travelling crashed Wednesday in the mountainous northeastern state of Nagaland, officials said.
A defence spokesperson said the four seated Cheetah helicopter took off from the army’s Rangapara base in Dimapur, Nagaland’s commercial hub, en route to Imphal, capital of the adjoining state of Manipur, around 7.50 am and lost contact around 8.20 am.
“There were three people on board, including two pilots and an army officer. The helicopter was on a training sortie,” R. Kalia, an army spokesperson, said.
The wreckage of the helicopter was found near a hillock in Viswema village, close to Nagaland capital Kohima.
"All the three bodies were recovered and identified," Kalia said.
The wreckage was first spotted by local tribal villagers.
“Villagers saw the helicopter plummeting from the sky – it was like a big fire ball dropping down," T, Angami, a village elder, said.
"we are not sure how the crash took place. An investigation would unravel what went wrong," Kalia said.
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End News / IRNA / News Code 1286843
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