As rescue operations in Uttarakhand continued four days after Sunday's torrential rainfall, a helicopter involved in the distribution of relief material crashed on Wednesday. One pilot and two crew members of the ill-fated helicopter were killed.
The Mori region in Uttarkashi district of Uttarakhand witnessed extremely heavy rainfall on Sunday, causing multiple building-collapse and landslides. As of Wednesday, rescue teams have recovered 16 bodies from the region. Some are still missing in the region as the downpour affected over 51 villages.
The Times of India reported that the helicopter crashed near Moldi while returning from a relief material distribution operation in the affected region. The deceased were identified as pilot Ranjit Lal, co-pilot Shailesh, and crewmember Rajpal Rana.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) has reportedly constituted an enquiry team to probe the incident. The chief minister of Uttarakhand, Trivendra Singh Rawat announced an ex-gratia of 15 lakh each to the family of the deceased. The chief minister expressed grief about the incidence on Twitter.
