An Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter carrying three crew members went missing on Tuesday, prompting a massive ground search operation in Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday, according to media reports.
The helicopter took off from Tezpur air base in Assam around 4 pm on a flood relief mission but hit bad weather and lost contact over Arunachal Pradesh.
Sandeep Goel, Arunachal Pradesh’s police chief, told IANS: “Rescue teams from the army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police along with state police were trekking through the jungle and hill areas between Yupia and Hoj Telam in Papum Pare district to locate the missing chopper.”
Arunachal Pradesh and its neighboring states were recently hit with heavy monsoon rains that triggered landslides and floods.
The Times of India quoted an eyewitness who said the helicopter may have crashed in Hostalam, which is between Borum and Toru.