M A I N   N E W S

5 die in Mumbai helicopter crash
Tribune News Service

Policemen search for survivors in the debris of a crashed helicopter near Murbad village in Thane on Sunday. — PTI

Mumbai, September 29
All five persons aboard a Bell 212 helicopter died after it crashed in bad weather near Malshej Ghat in Thane district, the police said.

The names of the dead have been given as Captain SS Bhaduria, co-pilot Allen Martin, Capt. Anshu Matta, Engineer Yatin Wakade and Technician Dean D’Souza. While four of those on the ill-fated chopper died on the spot, one of them died shortly after being shifted to a nearby hospital by villagers.

According to sources here, the helicopter took off from Juhu helipad in suburban Mumbai and was on its way to Aurangabad district when it ran into severely inclement weather. The pilot may have tried to land in a valley surrounded by mountain peak at a village called Vaishagre where an advasi hamlet is located. However the chopper hit a high-tension electricity wire and burst into flames.

Local villagers have reported that the entire helicopter was afire and all passengers on board were severely burnt. According to officials at the Juhu helipad, the copter took off at 7.47 am and was expected to reach Aurangabad at around 9.30 am.

However at around 9 am, the air traffic control lost contact with the helicopter.

The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has rushed a team to the site to investigate the cause of the accident.