Arunachal CM Dorjee Khandu still missing, search operations on
As mystery continues over the missing chopper of Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, an all-out search operation is on to locate it.
The Euro-copter AS350 BR, operated by Pawan Hans, was carrying Khandu, his security officer deputy superintendent of police Yeshi Choddak, the sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup, Yeshi Lamu and the two pilots, Captain B S Babbar and Captain K S Malick.
Government on Saturday night alerted the Department of Space and ISRO for help in locating the whereabouts of the missing helicopter.
Union Home Secretary G.K. Pillai said that Indian satellites have made two passes over the probable area from where the Pawan Hans helicopter went missing 20 minutes after takeoff from Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh but has not picked up any signals.
Indian Air Force choppers were also been roped in to trace the missing chopper.
The IAF choppers, which had halted the operation due to fading light and inclement weather on Saturday evening, have relaunched the operation from dawn. Four helicopters - two chetaks and two MI-17s - have been pressed into service.
Special rescue teams of the Army, SSB, ITBP personnel have also joined the search operation.
Both Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Congress president Sonia Gandhi are monitoring the search operation.
The state government has also set up a crisis management cell with principal secretary to CM Yeshi Tsering, civil aviation commissioner Hage Khoda, home secretary A K Srivastav, IGP SBK Singh, DIGP (West) Robin Hibu, DIG (Intelligence) Anil Shukla, City DC Pawan Kumar Sain and SP Apang Tamut as its members.
The committee will be monitoring the situation under the overall guidance and supervision of Chief Secretary Tabam Bam.
The chopper, which is missing for 24 hours now, took off from Tawang at 9:56 am on Saturday and was scheduled to land in Itanagar at 11:30 am. It, however, lost radio contact shortly after its take-off. The chopper was last sighted about 20 minutes later over Sela Pass.
Aviation experts fear the worst as flying in the area is extremely dangerous due to sudden weather changes affecting visibility.
Conflicting reports emerged throughout the day on Saturday over the disappearance of the chopper with initial reports claiming that the chopper had landed safely at Eastern Bhutan. However, later in the evening there were denials from all concerned saying the helicopter had not been located and search operation was on.
To locate the chopper, the Army and Air Force had launched search operations on Saturday, but was called off in the evening due to poor visibility.
