A Police team in Arunachal Pradesh spotted the debris of an IAF chopper on Wednesday, which had gone missing on Tuesday, in a deep ravine. However, the fate of the three-member crew was still uncertain. Rescue teams are scouring the spot for the crew, said a top police official. The aircraft was lost near Sagalee in Papum Pare district.
The debris of the chopper was sighted from a hill top at Chopo Yoha in the district at the confluence of a water fall and the Nyorch River, said IGP (Law and Order) Nabin Payeng. “Since the spot is located in a deep gorge, rescue teams will take time to reach,” Payeng said.
Also read: IAF aircraft goes missing near China border
A massive search operation was launched by Indo Tibetan Border Police along with Arunachal Pradesh police and India Reserve Battalion to trace the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the IAF. It was engaged in flood rescue mission in the state and gone missing on Tuesday at 3:50 pm after takeoff.
The helicopter was evacuating people trapped in Sagalee and Dambuk because of huge landslides. Chief Minister Pema Khandu tweeted on Tuesday, “Successfully evacuated 169 stranded people that include women, children from flood affected areas of Sagalee and Dambuk through IAF.”
