Arunachal CM’s chopper goes missing

Agencies

New Delhi, 30 April 2011: Pawan Hans chopper carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others, including two crew members has gone missing while flying from Tawang to Itanagar on Saturday.

 

The chopper carrying Dorjee Khandu went missing immediately after take-off. Khandu, accompanied by two of his personal aides, had taken off from Tawang at 9:56 am. The chopper was last sighted at Sela Pass, 20 minutes after taking off from Tawang, defence sources in Shillong said.

 

DIG Robin Hibu said the helicopter went missing after take-off.The air force has pressed into service two helicopters in search operations to locate the missing chopper.

 

"Army search parties are on the job. District administration road search parties also looking for any if possible crash," said Kanwaljit Deol, DGP Arunachal Pradesh.

 

"Rescue parties have left from Itanagar by road. The weather condition is bad and therefore we are unable to send air teams, even though the teams are at Jorhat and trying to go," said Union Home Secretary GK Pillai.

 

This is the third helicopter to get into trouble in the Northeast in the last fortnight.

 

In the April 19 incident, a Pawan Hans helicopter crashed in the mountains of Tawang, bordering Tibet, killing all 17 people on board. The helicopter crashed not far away from the helipad and the DGCA had found that proper fire-fighting facilities could have saved lives.

 

In the other incident, an army helicopter crashed near Gangtok killing four occupants on board.

 

The helicopter was flying from Guwahati to Itanagar via Tawang, Pawan Hans sources said.