Porbandar: Three crew members of an Indian Coast Guard ALH Dhruv chopper were killed after it crashed during landing at Porbandar airport in Gujarat on Sunday afternoon, police said.
The incident took place at 12.10 pm, Porbandar Superintendent of Police Bhagirathsinh Jadeja said. "The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the ICG with three crew members onboard crashed during landing at the Porbandar airport," he said. "The three crew members were brought out of the chopper and rushed to a hospital in Porbandar in a severely burnt condition," he added.
The chopper crashed near the runway and caught fire. The blaze was later brought under control with the help of a fire tender, he said.
"While two of them were declared brought dead, one was alive when brought to the hospital and died later," Kamala Baug police station's inspector Rajesh Kanmiya said. Their identities were not yet known, he said.
The incident comes four months after the ICG's ALH MK-III helicopter crashed into the Arabian Sea off Porbandar on September 2 last year, killing three crew members. The bodies of its pilot and a diver were recovered soon after the incident, while the body of the third crew member was found after more than a month.
Features of ALH Dhruv
ALH Dhruv, which was developed by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, has been designed to carry out a variety of missions including search and rescue, medical evacuation, and anti-submarine warfare. The Indian Army, Navy and Air Force have deployed it extensively in various roles. Its robust design and reliability make it vital for India's defence services.
