Three killed as army chopper crashes in Nagaland

Three Indian Army personnel were killed when the Army helicopter, a four seater Cheetah, crashed landed amid hills at Viswema area to the south of Kohima in Nagaland on Wednesday morning.

A defence source informed that the chopper with two crew members and an Army official took off for Imphal in Manipur from Rangapahar, the headquarters of 3 Corps near Dimapur in Nagaland at 0750 hrs on a routine sortie. The chopper lost contact with the ground control at 0825 hrs while it should

have been flying over general area of Viswema to the south of Kohima. Search teams were immediately dispatched. The wreckage of the chopper along with the bodies of all the three Army men on board were recovered near Viswema with help of locals.

A court of inquiry is being ordered to ascertain the actual reason for the crash though bad weather is suspected to be the prime reason behind the tragedy.