A Pawan Hans helicopter faced trouble while landing near Mayabunder, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, around 9:30 am on Tuesday, officials said. Spokesperson of Pawan Hans said, “around 9:30 a.m. today, a Pawan Hans helicopter experienced a short landing incident near Mayabunder in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. The helicopter had taken off from Port Blair with two crew members and five passengers on board. All have been rescued and are safe. No injuries have been reported: Pawan Hans spokesperson.
The spokesperson added, “All necessary safety protocols were followed, and authorities ensured the well-being of the crew and passengers.”
As per reports, the passengers onboard included three men, one woman, one child, and the two pilots. The rescued passengers, Rajita Devi and her infant, Kamal Ch. Das, Sipra Saha, and Nambi Amma have been admitted to Dr. RP Hospital, Mayabunder, and are under observation and treatment. The pilots are also safe, said the local authorities.
Authorities are actively assessing the situation, and further details regarding the cause and circumstances of the incident are awaited.
The incident took place hours after a tragic air ambulance crash occurred in Jharkhand’s Chatra district, killing all seven people on board, including two crew members.
Speaking to ANI, SP Sumit Kumar Agarwal confirmed the number of deaths. “We got information around 10 that an accident has happened… Getting here was difficult considering the terrain… The Delhi team will come here for investigation and try to recover the black box… Total number of deaths is seven,” he said.
Meanwhile, Deputy Commissioner Keerthishree G said the crash was likely caused by a thunderstorm.
“It crashed due to a thunderstorm… Unfortunately, the team of doctors found them dead. The total number of people is seven. Two were crew members, and the remaining five were a patient and the patient’s family members,” she said.
(With inputs from ANI)
Zubair Amin is a Senior Journalist at NewsX with over seven years of experience in reporting and editorial work. He has written for leading national and international publications, including Foreign Policy Magazine, Al Jazeera, The Economic Times, The Indian Express, The Wire, Article 14, Mongabay, News9, among others. His primary focus is on international affairs, with a strong interest in US politics and policy. He also writes on West Asia, Indian polity, and constitutional issues. Zubair tweets at zubaiyr.amin
