Two pilots were killed after an Indian army helicopter crashed on hills in India’s volatile Jammu and Kashmir state on Tuesday, officials said.
Both pilots from the army aviation corps were critically injured in the crash in the Patnitop region and were evacuated to the nearest medical facility but succumbed to their injuries, defence spokesman Devender Anand told reporters.
Visuals shared on social media showed the wrecked helicopter, a Indian-built Cheetah, on a hillside and locals trying to pull out the pilots.
Domestic media reports said the chopper crashed owing to poor visibility in foggy weather conditions but an inquiry would be conducted to ascertain the cause of the crash.
Federal Minister Jitendra Singh offered condolences for the loss of lives in the accident. This is the second army helicopter crash in recent weeks in Jammu and Kashmir.
Last month, two pilots were killed after an army helicopter crashed into the Ranjit Sagar hydro-electric dam. The body of one of the pilots is still missing.
