An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter, Mi 17 V5, crashed on Friday morning in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang area near the India-China border. At least five personnel are feared dead and one injured.
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ContributeAn IAF official said: “Around 6 am, an Mi-17 V5 helicopter while on an air maintenance mission crashed in Arunachal Pradesh resulting in fatal injuries to five personnel and critical injury of one.”
A court of inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident. Rescue teams reached the crash site and admitted the injured personnel to a local hospital. Some media reports said six of the seven personnel on board had died.
The Mi-17 V5 is considered one of the world’s most advanced military transport helicopters but the area in which the IAF one was flying in is said to suffer dangerous weather changes.
On September 28, the IAF’s trainer aircraft crashed in Telangana’s Keesara region. In July, the force’s Advanced Light Helicopter, involved in flood rescue operations, crashed in Arunachal Pradesh’s Hostalam village, killing two, while a MIG-23 aircraft also crashed in Rajasthan the same month.
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