Chopper crashes off Lakshadweep: One dead, 4 hurt

One person was killed and two others, including a Deputy Secretary with the Planning Commission Rajan Katoch, were severely injured when a P...

One person was killed and two others, including a Deputy Secretary with the Planning Commission Rajan Katoch, were severely injured when a Pawan Hans chopper crashed into the sea off the Agatti Islands in Lakshadweep.

The helicopter, a Dauphin Foxtrot, was about to land when its tail rotor apparently malfunctioned and it crashed into the sea. A local official, George Morokei, died after being brought out of sea by the Coast Guard authorities.

Those rescued include two pilots, Captain Gurung and Captain Prahalad, and Rajan’s wife Keerti. The Directorate-General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has ordered a high-level inquiry into the incident. Coast Guard’s offshore patrol vessel CGS Samar, on routine duty in the area, rushed to the spot and conducted rescue operations.

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Katoch’s condition is said to be serious. He was later flown to Kochi on a Coast Guard Dornier plane to the Naval airport. Katoch and his wife, who suffered minor bruises but is in deep shock, have been admitted to Medical Trust Hospital. Katoch had come here along with four other officials to attend the third-quarterly planning review meeting. The wreckage and the black box — fished out of the water — will be examined by the technical team of the DGCA.

According to Deputy General Manager (Operations) of Pawan Hans Wing Commander R.C. Srivastava, the helicopter was 12 years old. ‘‘It was in good condition. The probe will bring out the real reason behind the incident,’’ he added.