Army helicopter with 5 on board crashes in Arunachal Pradesh; 4 bodies found

Tezpur-based defence spokesperson Lt Col. Amrinder Singh Walia said five personnel were on board the advanced light helicopter when it crashed in Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Siang district

Published on: Oct 21, 2022, 19:26:03 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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GUWAHATI: An Indian Army helicopter crashed in Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh on Friday morning killing at least four of the five personnel on board, officials said.

Smoke seen coming out from the accident site where an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) military chopper crashed near the Tuting area in the Upper Siang district of Arunachal Pradesh on Friday. (ANI)

According to the army, the advanced light helicopter was on a regular sortie when it crashed at 10:43am around Migging, south of Tutting.

The chopper took off from Likabali in Lower Siang district and crashed in a remote area with thick tree cover, about 140km from the district headquarters of Upper Siang.

As soon as news of the crash was reported, a joint search and rescue operation of army and the Indian Air Force was launched. Three columns of army personnel were also sent to the accident site . One MI17 and 2 advanced light helicopters were also pressed into service.

“A total of five personnel were on board and during the search and rescue operations, the team has recovered the mortal remains of four individuals till now,” a statement by Tezpur-based defence spokesperson Lt Col. Amrinder Singh Walia said.

The statement added that the cause of the crash is not known yet and investigations are underway to find more details.

Friday’s crash was the second helicopter accident in Arunachal Pradesh this month.

On October 5, a Cheetah helicopter of army crashed near Tawang during a routine sortie killing one pilot and injuring the second one.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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