Three killed as Coast Guard chopper crashes in Gujarat's Porbandar

An Indian Coast Guard Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) crashed in Gujarat's Porbandar on Sunday, killing all three crew members on board, a top police official confirmed.

The chopper went up in flames upon impact, and the identities of the deceased are yet to be ascertained.

The crash occurred during a routine sortie at the Air Enclave of the Indian Coast Guard. The helicopter, identified as an ALH Dhruv, plummeted into an open field before catching fire.

The cause of the crash remains unknown, and an inquiry has been initiated to determine the circumstances behind the tragedy.

Eyewitnesses captured footage of the burning wreckage, while initial reports indicate that several others were injured in the incident.

Sharing details of the incident, Porbandar Superintendent of Police (SP) Bhagirath Singh Jadeja said, "This accident happened during routine work when this helicopter was landing on the runway. There were three people on board. All three people were rescued and sent to the hospital but all three could not be saved. This was a lightweight helicopter of the Coast Guard."

Similar incidents involving the ALH Dhruv helicopters have also occurred in the past with the Indian Coast Guard, which is responsible for maritime law enforcement and search-and-rescue operations in the nation's territorial waters.

Four months ago, in September, another Coast Guard ALH MK-III helicopter crashed into the Arabian Sea off the Porbandar coast during a mission to evacuate an injured crew member.

While the bodies of two crew members were recovered, a month-long search ensued to locate the pilot, Rakesh Kumar Rana, whose body was eventually found in October off the Gujarat coast.

This latest crash raises fresh concerns about the ALH Dhruv fleet, which is operated by the Indian Army, Navy, Air Force, and Coast Guard. Two years ago, design and metallurgy flaws were identified in certain components of the helicopter.

A safety audit was conducted following a spate of accidents, prompting the temporary grounding of the fleet for comprehensive technical checks.

The ALH Dhruv fleet, comprising over 325 helicopters across various branches of the armed forces, resumed operations after passing the safety audit. However, incidents like these continue to cast a shadow over the reliability of the platform.

Further details on the Porbandar crash are awaited as officials work to piece together the sequence of events that led to the tragedy.