New Delhi: A Mi-17 V5 helicopter of the Indian Air Force crashed near Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on Friday killing Seven defence personnel onboard.
The chopper crashed around 6 am while it was on an Air Maintenance Mission, IAF sources said.
Tawang district Superintendent of Police Manoj Kumar Meena said the chopper crashed around 6.30 a.m. killing all the seven people on board.
The crash site is located at some four-to-five hours drive from Tawang. “It is a forested area,” Meena said adding that the bodies are being brought to the helipad near Tawang.
“We are told that there were no civilians and all were defence personnel,” he said.
The chopper was flying in Tawang sector, bordering China.
It may be recalled that in June 2013, an Mi-17 V-5 helicopter had crashed attempting rescue operations during the Uttarakhand floods.
As many as 20 people were killed in that accident in Uttrakhand.
The Mi-17V5 is considered to be one of the world’s most advanced military transport helicopters.
A Court of Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.