An Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the Indian Coast Guard crashed in Gujarat’s Porbandar, killing three people, sources told NDTV. Three crew members onboard the chopper died in the crash after it was up in flames.
The ALH Dhruv, which is operated by the armed forces, crashed in an open field and was up in flames, visuals showed. The reason behind the crash is still not known and an inquiry has been launched.
The Dhruv chopper was on a routine sortie when it crashed. The crash took place at the Air Enclave of the Indian Coast Guard and a few people were also injured in the crash. They are being treated at the civil hospital, sources said.
The Indian Coast Guard is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue agency, with jurisdiction in India’s territorial waters.
The identity of the victims is unknown and more details are awaited.
Four months ago in September, three crew members went missing after the ALH MK-III helicopter fell into the Arabian Sea off Porbandar. While the bodies of two crew members were recovered subsequently, a search continued to trace Rakesh Kumar Rana, the pilot in command of the mission.
After a month-long search, the pilot’s body was recovered in October off the Gujarat coast by the Coast Guard.
The chopper crashed while trying to evacuate an injured man on board motor tanker Hari Leela, nearly 30 nautical miles from the Porbandar coast.
Two years ago, a string of flaws were identified in the ALH Dhruv chopper, which is operated by the Army, Navy and the Air Force.
There were certain design and metallurgy issues in some components that were identified. The scrutiny was carried out after accidents involving the platform that had forced the Army and the Indian Air Force to ground their fleets.
The choppers that were grounded resumed their operations following the completion of the safety audit.
The Indian Navy, the IAF, the Army and the Coast Guard have a total of over 325 ALH Dhruv helicopters and all of them underwent technical checks following the incidents of accidents in 2023.
