Search for Indian Army pilots, helicopter in Ranjit Sagar Dam continues
Aug 14, 2021
New Delhi [India], August 14 : The search operation for Indian Army pilots and helicopter in Ranjit Sagar Dam in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua still continues after eleven days of the crash, read a statement released by the government.
An Indian Army helicopter had crashed near Ranjit Sagar Dam on August 3. The Weapon System Integrated helicopter that had taken off from Punjab's Pathankot met with the accident during a routine sortie.
"The search operations for Indian Army Pilots and helicopter which had crashed into the Ranjit Sagar Dam has intensified with Submarine Rescue Unit of Indian Navy being flown in to explore digitally located wreckage at depth of approximately 80 - 100 metres," said Lieutenant Colonel Devender Anand, Public Relations Officer (Defence).
"Indian Air Force has lifted the heavy equipment from Visakhapatnam to Pathankot for speeding up the underwater search. Indian Army and all other agencies- Indian Navy, Indian Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), Ranjit Sagar Dam Authority, district authorities including the locals are sparing no efforts for bringing the operations to a final conclusion," he added.
Earlier, Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh had also expressed concern over the crash. "Concerned over the news of an Army helicopter crash at Ranjit Sagar Dam, Pathankot. District Administration has rushed teams to the location, rescue operations are underway," he had tweeted.