Three killed as chopper crashes in Uttarkashi, probe ordered

A helicopter engaged in relief and rescue operations in rain-ravaged Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand crashed on Wednesday (August 21), killing three persons onboard, an official said.

A private helicopter with three persons on board crashed near Moldi in the rain-hit Uttarkashi district after getting entangled in cables, Uttarakhand’s DG (law and order) Ashok Kumar said.

Uttarkashi Disaster Management officer Devendra Patwal said that those onboard included the pilot, co-pilot and a local. The private helicopter belonged to Heritage Aviation.

It had crashed while returning after distributing relief material among the affected people in the flood-ravaged villages spread over 70 square km area of the district, Patwal told PTI.

Also read: 15 killed as Pakistani army plane crashes into residential area

In a tweet, Chief Minister Trivendra Singh Rawat expressed grief over the deaths and prayed for strength to the family members of the deceased.

Torrential rains in Moldi area of the district caused large-scale damage and demolished a number of houses on Sunday (August 18). Sixteen people were killed and around half a dozen people are missing.

Aviation regulator DGCA has deputed a team of officials to conduct a preliminary enquiry in the helicopter crash, according to a senior official. The Aircraft Accident Investigation Bureau (AAIB) is likely to probe the accident, the official added.

The AAIB has the responsibility of investigating all major aircraft incidents and accidents in the country.