Army Helicopter Crashes In J&K's Udhampur District, Two Pilots Injured

A senior police officer said initial reports suggested it was an Army chopper.

Two pilots were injured after an Army helicopter  force-landed near Patnitop in Udhampur of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday. The pilots were being evacuated, an Army spokesperson said, adding further details were being ascertained.

“Today, during a training sortie in the Patnitop area, the Indian Army Cheetah Helicopter crash-landed in the Shiv Garh Dhar area in Udhampur district,” the Army added.

Earlier, a police officer said a search team was rushed to the spot. It was the locals who launched the rescue operation and evacuated the injured men from a deep gorge.

The officer said the chopper either crashed or crash-landed on a hill. “Search parties have been rushed to the area, but it will take around one and a half hour to reach there by foot. Dense fog in the area is making it difficult for the searchers to pin point exact location,” he added.

DIG, Udhampur Reasi Range Suleman Choudhary, said, “We got information and dispatched a police team towards the Shiv Garh Dhar.”

He said due to excess fog it was yet to be clearly established where the helicopter crash or crash-landed.

(With inputs from bureau)

By hindustantimes.com | Written by Sohini Goswami, New Delhi

UPDATED ON SEP 21, 2021 01:12 PM IST