New Delhi: Two persons were killed after a state helicopter crashed at an airport in Raipur in Chhattisgarh on Thursday, police said. According to reports, the helicopter caught fire when the pilots were trying to land it. Both the pilots on board were killed in the accident.
Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel took to his Twitter handle to confirm the news and express his condolences to the families of the deceased. Both the pilots, Captain Panda and Captain Srivastava have died in the accident, the CM tweeted.
Expressing his condolences, CM Baghel wrote in Hindi, “Just got a sad news about the state helicopter crashing at the airport in Raipur. In this tragic accident, both our pilots Captain Panda and Captain Srivastava have sadly passed away. May God give strength to his family members and peace to the departed soul in this time of grief.”
According to a report by news agency PTI, the incident took place during a flying practice at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur, that falls under the Mana police station limits around 9:10 pm, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prashant Agrawal said.
The two pilots on board the chopper sustained serious injuries in the crash and were immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital, where they were declared dead, the SSP further said, as reported by PTI.