Arunachal: Wreckage of crashed Cheetah helicopter recovered, two pilots dead

A Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Army crashed near Mandala, west of Bomdila, in Arunachal Pradesh on March 16, a defence spokesperson said.

An Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter flying an operational sortie near Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh was reported to have lost contact with the ATC at around 09:15 AM on 16 March.

It is reported to have crashed near Mandala, West of Bomdila. 

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Meanhwhile the search parties were able to locate the wreckage of the Cheetah helicopter and two dead bodies of the pilots have also been recovered.

Rohit Rajbir Singh, the superintendent of police, Special Investigation Cell (SIC), explained that villagers had found the crashed chopper ablaze in Dirang, and informed district officials. "Villagers from Bangjalep at Dirang located the chopper around 12.30 pm. It is still burning," Singh said. The area has no mobile connectivity and the weather is extremely foggy with visibility as low as five meters, he added.