Off the wire
• Interview: Finnish President says "lucky" to trade with China  • Switzerland sees first budget deficit in nearly one decade  • Foreign exchange rates of Euro to other currencies  • Britain gives green light to test driverless cars on public roads  • UNDP Chief to visit Ebola epicenter countries  • U.S. stocks narrowly fluctuate amid focus on Greek debt talks, earnings  • Urgent: Four-way talks on Ukraine begin in Minsk  • 1st LD Writethru: BiH's new state gov't chairman pledges reforms  • Roundup: BiH's new state gov't chairman pledges reforms  • EU ambassador urges Kenya to sign deal for duty free flower export  
You are here: 　 Home

2nd Ld Writethru: 2 troopers killed in Indian military helicopter crash in Indian-controlled Kashmir

Xinhua, February 12, 2015 Adjust font size:

d Ld Writethru: 2 troopers killed in Indian military helicopter crash in Indian-controlled Kashmir

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Feb. 11 (Xinhua) - - Two Indian military troopers were killed Wednesday after a military helicopter they were flying in crashed in Indian-controlled Kashmir, military officials said.

The helicopter crashed in the evening along the upper reaches of Safapora in Bandipora district, about 62 km north of Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"This evening a military helicopter on a training sortie crashed in upper area of Safapora in Bandipora," Lt. Col N N Joshi, Srinagar based Indian military spokesman told Xinhua. "In the crash two troopers acting as its pilot and co-pilot were killed." According to Joshi, the helicopter took off at 7:00 p.m. (local time) and after forty minutes lost communication with the base.

Joshi said the cause of the crash was being ascertained. Officials believe pilot lost control of the helicopter and hit the hillock.

"The DRUV helicopter was on night flying," a military official said. "It was a utility helicopter having capacity of eight to nine troopers but during the time of crash only two troopers were inside the helicopter."

Reports said the wreckage of the helicopter was lying on the Safapora hill and bodies of the pilots were found charred.

Indian military rescue teams retrieved the bodies of the troopers.

The helicopter was manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, an Indian government owned aerospace and defence company.

Last year, a pilot on board was killed after an Indian Air Force (IAF) MiG-21 he was flying crashed in the region. Endi