On 04 Jul 17, an ALH of helicopter unit based at Tezpur had gone missing while carrying out an HADR mission near Itanagar. The helicopter had carried out five sorties evacuating stranded people near Itanagar due to landslides between Naharlagun and Sagalee. There were three crew members and a Arunachal Pradesh police personnel on board, when the aircraft was reported missing at approx 1550 hrs. While the search and rescue operations were initiated immediately, however the process was hampered frequently due to bad weather in the area. 

Joint rescue teams of Army, NDRF, Arunachal Pradesh Police and IAF were launched to locate the helicopter. The Arunachal Pradesh Police team spotted the wreckage of the helicopter in the evening of 05 Jul 17. On 06 Jul 17 morning, rescue parties comprising IAF Garuds and medical team, Army, NDRF were able to reach the crash site alongwith the Arunachal Pradesh Police team who had sited the wreckage. The bodies of three personnel have been recovered so far. A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident. 
 

 

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AB/MKR 

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