7 killed as Indian Air Force chopper crashes in Arunachal Pradesh

A Mi-17 V5 helicopter crashed in Arunachal Pradesh this morning, reports ANI.

At least seven people were killed, including two Army personnel, as an Indian Air force chopper crashed during a training sortie near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. IAF has ordered an inquiry into the incident.

An Mi-17 V5 helicopter crashed in Arunachal Pradesh this morning, reported ANI. The incident took place at around 6:00 am during a training sortie.

"A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF official said. Rescue teams reached the crash site in Tawang near the Indo-China border and admitted the injured personnel to a local hospital.

The crash comes ahead of Air Force Day on October 8, celebrated in a big way by the force.

"Our losses in the peacetime are a cause of concern. We are making concerted efforts to minimise accidents and preserve our assets," Air Chief Marshal B S Dhanoa had said yesterday, referring to a string of crashes of IAF choppers and military jets in recent years.

Last month, a trainee aircraft crashed in Keesara village near Medchal district in Hyderabad.

On July 6, an Indian Air Force (IAF) MIG-23 aircraft has crashed in Rajasthan's Jodhpur. Both pilots ejected safely before the aircraft went down in the Balesar area.

In July, an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the Indian Air Force (IAF) crashed in Arunachal Pradesh's Hostalam village, about 30 km from Itanagar, killing two people.

In May, two pilots died after a Sukhoi-30 fighter jet crashed near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border.

(With agency inputs)