According to officials, a tragic incident occurred in the Mandala hills area in Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday when an Indian Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter crashed, resulting in the death of both pilots on board.
Following the crash, a search operation was launched by the Indian Army, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the police. Army officials confirmed that both pilots had lost their lives in the crash.
Earlier, Public Relations Officer (PRO), Defence Guwahati Lt Col Mahendra Rawat had reported that the Cheetah helicopter, on an operational mission, had lost contact with the Air Traffic Controller around 9:15 am on Thursday.
It was later discovered to have crashed near Mandala, west of Bomdila, and search parties were deployed to locate the wreckage.
The Arunachal Pradesh Police reported that the Army chopper had lost contact midway while en route from Senge village to Missamari.
Villagers from Bangjalep under Dirang police station reported finding the crashed chopper around 12:30 pm.
The police also stated that the weather in the area was extremely foggy, with a visibility of only 5 meters and no signal.