A Rudra Mk IV. (Representational photo)
Tezpur: An Army Aviation’s Rudra Mk IV combat helicopter, which took off from Arunachal Pradesh’s Lower Siang district HQ at Likabali, crashed on Friday at 10.43am near Migging village in the state’s Upper Siang district. There were five Army personnel on board the weapon systems integrated advanced light helicopter (ALH-WSI) when it crashed.
Migging is less than 40km from the nearest point of the line of actual control (LAC) with China, as the crow flies.
A joint Army and Air Force search-and-rescue operation was launched immediately comprising one Mi-17 helicopter, two advanced light helicopters, and three columns of the Indian Army. The Tezpur Defence PRO said the search-and-rescue team has recovered the bodies of four individuals out of the five, so far.
The cause of the crash at this stage is not known. The Defence PRO said a probe has been launched to ascertain the facts that led to the crash.
It may be noted that an Army ALH-WSI Rudra crashed on the Ranjit Sagar reservoir near Pathankot, Punjab, on August 3, 2021, killing its two pilots, Lieutenant Colonel Abheet Singh Batth and Captain Jayant Joshi.
