Two pilots were killed in a helicopter crash at an airport in Chhattisgarh's Raipur, the police said on Thursday, 12 May.
Onboard the AgustaWestland AW 109 helicopter were two pilots, identified as Captain Gopal Krishna Panda and Captain AP Shrivastava.
Confirming the news, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel said in a tweet, "Just got the 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 their family members and peace to the departed soul in this time of grief [sic]."
The Chhattisgarh state helicopter crashed at the Swami Vivekananda Airport at around 9.10 pm on Thursday during a routine training sortie, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prashant Agarwal said.
The government said the initial reports indicated that a technical malfunction caused the accident.
The government added that a detailed technical investigation would be conducted at the behest of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and the government into the cause of the crash, as per ANI.
(With inputs from ANI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)