Chhattisgarh Govt Helicopter Crashes at Raipur Airport; 2 Pilots Dead

Chhattisgarh CM Bhupesh Baghel expressed grief and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

Raipur: A Chhattisgarh government helicopter crashed at Raipur airport on Thursday evening leaving two pilots dead, reported news agencies quoting police officials. The incident took place during a flying practice at the Swami Vivekananda Airport in Raipur under Mana police station limits at around 9:10 pm, said Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Prashant Agrawal.

Two pilots on board the chopper were seriously injured in the crash and immediately taken to a nearby private hospital where they were declared dead, said the SSP. The deceased were identified as Captian Gopal Krishna Panda and Captain A P Shrivastava, said the police officer. The cause of the crash was not immediately known.

Sharing the tragic news, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel wrote on Twitter: “Both the pilots, Captain Panda and Captain Srivastava have died in the accident.” The CM expressed grief and offered condolences to the bereaved families.

Earlier, the pilots were said to be severely injured and shifted to Ramakrishna Hospital where they succumbed to the injuries, reported news agency ANI quoting police sources.

(With inputs from agencies)