Copter with IAS officer missing in Arunachal

Guwahati, August 4

A Pawan Hans helicopter with three persons, including an IAS officer, on board went untraced around 10.30am today. The helicopter was on its way from Khonsa, district headquarters of remote Tirap district of Arunachal, to the headquarters of adjacent Changlang district.

A PTI report said a “helicopter-like object” was later “sighted” in the dense jungles near Deomali area in Tirap, Chief Secretary Ramesh Negi said quoting army sources. He said security personnel were unable to reach it due to bad weather and tough terrain.

A government spokesman said Tirap Deputy Commissioner Kamlesh Joshi was on board the chopper. He said the chopper was scheduled to pick up all three DCs of Tirap, Changlang and Longding districts to facilitate their flight to Delhi from Dibrugarh. The DCs were summoned to New Delhi by the Union Home Ministry. — TNS & PTI