Pilot among two feared dead in Kathua army chopper crash
A helicopter of the Indian Army’s aviation corps crashed near the Ranjit Sagar Dam in the Basohli area of Kathua on Tuesday, officials said. Pilot and co-pilot are feared dead in the incident.
The helicopter crashed around 1020 hours, they said. Later teams of Police and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the site and started rescue operations.
An Army team also reached the site to ascertain the damage.
SSP Ramesh Kotwal told GNS as per local residents, the chopper crashed in the dam and soon informed the police.
Local residents said the chopper hovered over the dam and soon crashed.
Officials said specialised forces and Army divers were carrying out the search operation. So far some helicopter parts were recovered along with a helmet, two big size bags and one shoe, they said.
Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, Defence PRO based in Jammu, told GNS that searches are continuing for pilot and co-pilot who were onboard the helicopter. Asked about some reports doing rounds on social media that bodies have been recovered, he said, “They are fake, incorrect.” (GNS)
