Two pilots killed as Chhattisgarh government chopper crashes at Raipur airport

The pilots have been identified as captain Gopal Krishna Panda and captain AP Shrivastava.

Updated on: May 12, 2022, 23:06:06 IST

By HT News Desk, New Delhi

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Two pilots were killed after a Chhattisgarh government helicopter crashed at the Raipur airport on Thursday night. The chopper crashed at Raipur’s Swami Vivekanand Airport around 9.10 pm, the state government said in a statement.

The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

The helicopter was on a routine training sortie when the incident took place. Initial indications suggest technical malfunction as the cause of the crash.

The pilots have been identified as captain Gopal Krishna Panda and captain AP Shrivastava. The statement said a “detailed technical investigation at the behest of the DGCA and state government shall be undertaken to ascertain the exact cause”.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel expressed deep anguish at the loss of lives and ordered officials to provide immediate relief to the bereaved family.

“Just got sad news about a state helicopter crashing at the airport in Raipur. In this tragic accident, both our pilots captain Panda and captain Shrivastava passed away. May god give strength to their family members and peace to the departed soul,” the CM tweeted.

Two pilots on board the chopper were seriously injured in the crash and immediately taken to a nearby private hospital where they were declared dead, said senior superintendent of police (SSP) Prashant Agrawal.

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