In an unfortunate incident, a defective helicopter being airlifted from Kedarnath to Gauchar by an Indian Air Force MI-17 chopper crashed this morning on saturday.
The crash occurred near the Mandakini River in Lincholi, but fortunately, no injuries were reported. The incident, which was captured on camera, involved the helicopter being transported for repairs to the Gauchar airstrip.
Watch the Video
VIDEO | Uttarakhand: A defective helicopter, which was being air lifted from #Kedarnath by another chopper, accidentally fell from mid-air as the towing rope snapped, earlier today.#UttarakhandNews
(Source: Third Party) pic.twitter.com/yYo9nCXRIw
— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) August 31, 2024
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As per District Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey, the pilot had to make an emergency drop of the helicopter in an open area after the MI-17 began losing balance. Hence, due to combined weight of the helicopter and adverse wind conditions, it resulted in instability.
Later, MI-17, having covered only a short distance, became unsteady and the pilot decided to drop the chopper near the Tharu camp.
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Fortunately, there were no passengers or cargo on the helicopter. Currently, rescue teams are on the scene to search for any casualties and are assessing the situation.