20 feared killed in IAF chopper crash in Uttarakhand

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New Delhi: In a horrific air-crash, 20 people, including personnel from the Indian Air Force, National Disaster Response Force and the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police were feared dead in an IAF helicopter crash on Tuesday.
 
The IAF confirmed that eight persons, including five IAF personnel, had died when a Mi-17 V5 helicopter crashed north of Gaurikund, Uttarakhand, while returning from Kedarnath to Gauchar on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The helicopter was on the return leg of a rescue mission. Reports said it was on its third sortie of the day when it went down.
 
According to NDRF sources, it was carrying aviation turbine fuel to sustain the rescue operations of the IAF in the hill-state. It burst into flames after crashing.
 
National Disaster Management Authority vicechairman M. Sashidhar Reddy said, “There were 20 people on board, including NDRF, ITBP and IAF personnel. Eight bodies have been recovered,” adding that chances of any survivors were remote.
 
According to NDRF sources, those feared dead include nine NDRF personnel and six ITBP personnel. ITBP sources confirmed that six of their personnel had been on board the ill-fated helicopter.
 
The IAF said, “One Mi-17 V5 helicopter of the IAF on a rescue mission from Gauchar to Guptkashi and Kedarnath on return leg from Kedarnath has crashed north of Gaurikund... Eight persons on board, including five crew members, sustained fatal injuries. While a court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the accident, the IAF’s rescue operations continue.”
 
This is the second incident of a helicopter crash this week in the hill state.

A private helicopter carrying relief materials for the rain-affected people in Rudraprayag district had crashed on Sunday near Gaurikund leaving the pilot injured.