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http://www.indiablooms.com/NewsDetailsPage/newsDetails210411z.phpGangtok, Apr 21 (IBNS): Two days after a helicopter crash at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh which claimed 17 lives, an army chopper with two pilots and two soldi ers on board went missing on Thursday during a routine training exercise in north Sikkim near the Chinese border, army sources said.
The Advanced Light Helicopter – ALH Dhruv with pilots – Lt. Jepa and Lt. Col Bhatia of the Indian Air Force and soldiers Naib Subedar Rana and Naik Panth of 8 Gorkha Rifles on board had taken off from 66 Brigade Sevoke Road, Salugara base near Siliguri at around 9:30 AM.
It lost radio contact at around 10:45 AM due to bad weather over Shivmandir area in the valley, army sources said.
The chopper went below 15,000 feet above ground near the Yumesamdong area which is now under a thick snow and covered with dense forest.
The army launched a search operation but after about five hours, it was called off for later due to bad weather conditions. Three army choppers could not fly beyond Yumesamdong due to inclement weather thereby stalling rescue operations.
In view of the heavy snow in the area and inaccessible terrain, the aerial search is the only option to trace the chopper, the sources said.
Dhruv is an indigenously-developed helicopter inducted in the army only recently.
A Pawanhans helicopter with 23 on board crashed at Tawang, Arunachal P earlier this week killing 17.
The Advanced Light Helicopter – ALH Dhruv with pilots – Lt. Jepa and Lt. Col Bhatia of the Indian Air Force and soldiers Naib Subedar Rana and Naik Panth of 8 Gorkha Rifles on board had taken off from 66 Brigade Sevoke Road, Salugara base near Siliguri at around 9:30 AM.
It lost radio contact at around 10:45 AM due to bad weather over Shivmandir area in the valley, army sources said.
The chopper went below 15,000 feet above ground near the Yumesamdong area which is now under a thick snow and covered with dense forest.
The army launched a search operation but after about five hours, it was called off for later due to bad weather conditions. Three army choppers could not fly beyond Yumesamdong due to inclement weather thereby stalling rescue operations.
In view of the heavy snow in the area and inaccessible terrain, the aerial search is the only option to trace the chopper, the sources said.
Dhruv is an indigenously-developed helicopter inducted in the army only recently.
A Pawanhans helicopter with 23 on board crashed at Tawang, Arunachal P earlier this week killing 17.
Lot of crashes in the North East region lately? Something doesn't seem right.
