2 pilots dead as Indian army helicopter crashes in Arunachal

Two pilots died when an Indian Army Cheetah helicopter crashed near the Mandala hills area in West Kameng district of the country's Arunachal Pradesh today.

The wreckage of the aircraft was found near the village Banglajaap, east of Mandala, reports our New Delhi correspondent.

"With regret, we inform that the pilot and the co-pilot of the helicopter lost their lives in the accident," the Army said in a statement.

The deceased pilots were identified as Lt Col VVB Reddy and Major Jayanth A.

The chopper took off from Sange village and was headed towards Missamari in Assam's Sonitpur district when the incident took place.

Lt Col Mahendra Rawat, PRO Defence, in Guwahati said "an Army Aviation Cheetah helicopter flying an operational sortie near Bomdila, Arunachal Pradesh was reported to have lost contact with the ATC at around 9:15am today. It is reported to have crashed near Mandala, West of Bomdila."

According to Rohit Rajbir Singh, Superintendent of Police, Special Investigation Cell (SIC), the villagers found the crashed chopper ablaze in Dirang and informed the district officials.