48 hrs over, search fails to locate 'missing' Arunachal CM

Itanagar/Guwahati, May 2: A massive search is being conducted to locate the Pawan Hans AS350 B-3 helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister and four others. Unfortunately, the search has failed to trace the chopper nearly after 48 hours on Monday, May 2.

Massive search operations are being conducted by SSB, ITBP along with the Army-Air Force. Sources reported that two MI-17s and two Sukhoi 30s are also scanning the area.

Arunachal MP Takam Sanjay said, "There is no confirmation or news about the helicopter. There has been no direct contact with any of the five people on board and we really don't know any details as of now."

On Saturday, CM Dorjee Khandu and four others - crew members Captain JS Babbar and Captain KS Malick, Khandu's security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lamu, sister of Tawang legislator Tsewang Dhondup started their journey at 9:40 am.

The chopper was expected to reach Guwahati by 11:30 am on Saturday, Apr 30. Soon after the "missing" report, some media reports quoted Arunachal Pradesh Governor Gen (retd) JJ Singh and the state Chief Secretary as saying that the CM and the chopper are safe as it landed safely at Daporijo near Bhutan's border.

However, the search operation has been resumed when Bhutan government dismissed all speculations stating, "We have also heard through the media about the helicopter landing in Bhutan, but we don't have any reports of an Indian helicopter landing in our territory. But we have deployed troops and local villagers to see if any helicopter had landed here."

OneIndia News