IAF chopper goes missing near India-China border

An Indian Air Force helicopter with three people on board has gone missing near the country's border with China after taking off on a flood rescue mission, an official said Tuesday.

The Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) had taken off from Tezpur airbase in Assam around 4 p.m., the official told IANS. The helicopter was on a flood relief mission. It lost contact in Arunachal Pradesh state in India's remote northeast amid turbulent weather. Arunachal Pradesh as well as some other neighbouring states have been reeling under heavy monsoon rains that have triggered landslides and floods.

"The ALH (Advanced Light Helicopter) had taken off from Tezpur airbase in Assam state around 4 pm (10:30 GMT)," he said, declining to be named.


Also on Tuesday, a Border Security Force (BSF) chopper carrying Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju had to make an emergency landing in a playground in Itanagar due to bad weather. Rijiju tweeted about the missing IAF helicopter.

"Weather is turbulent in North-East. I'm safe but the whole state machinery is geared up to locate IAF ALH chopper missing almost at same time," Rijiju said in a tweet.