Raipur: Two pilots were killed after a helicopter crashed at an airport in Chhattisgarh’s Raipur on Thursday evening. Captain Gopal Krishna Panda and Captain AP Shrivastava were killed in the accident, police said.
The helicopter caught fire when the pilots were trying to land the helicopter. Both the pilots on board died in the accident. There were no passengers on board.
The incident took place during a flying practice at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur under Mana police station limits at around 9:10 pm, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prashant Agrawal.
The cause of the crash was not immediately known. A detailed technical investigation on behalf of Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the Chhattisgarh Government will be undertaken to ascertain the exact cause.
Chhattisgarh Chief Minister expressed grief over the tragedy and paid his tributes to the pilots. “Just got sad news about the state helicopter crashing at the airport in Raipur. In this tragic accident, both our pilots Captain Panda and Captain Srivastava died. May God give strength to his family members and peace to the departed soul in this time of grief,” Mr Baghel said in a tweet.
अभी रायपुर में एयरपोर्ट पर स्टेट हेलीकॉप्टर के क्रैश होने की दुखद सूचना मिली.
इस दुखद हादसे में हमारे दोनों पायलट कैप्टन पंडा और कैप्टन श्रीवास्तव का दुखद निधन हो गया है।
इस दुःख की घड़ी में ईश्वर उनके परिवारजनों को संबल एवं दिवंगत आत्मा को शांति प्रदान करे।
ॐ शांति:
— Bhupesh Baghel (@bhupeshbaghel) May 12, 2022
