Snag-hit helicopter being airlifted for repairs crashes in Kedarnath
Dehradun (PTI): A snag-hit helicopter being towed to Gauchar for repairs by an MI-17 chopper of the Indian Air Force crashed in the hills near Kedarnath on Saturday morning.
There were no casualties as the helicopter that crashed was unoccupied, Rudraprayag's District Tourism Officer Rahul Chaubey said.
The helicopter belonged to Crystal Aviation Pvt Ltd and had been lying in disuse since its emergency landing in Kedarnath on May 24 after developing a technical snag, he said.
In the May 24 emergency landing by the helicopter, all seven people on board, including pilgrims, escaped unhurt.
It was being taken to Gauchar for repairs on Saturday morning by an MI-17 helicopter which began to go off balance over Lincholi.
Sensing trouble, the pilot of the MI-17 dropped the snag-hit chopper at a vacant spot so that there was no human casualty, Chaubey said.
There was no passenger or luggage in the crashed helicopter.
A rescue team reached the spot as soon as information was received. The team is inspecting the situation, the official said.
Authorities have appealed to people not to spread any rumours about the helicopter crash.
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V.D. Satheesan elected as new Chief Minister of Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Celebrations erupted across Kerala on Thursday after V D Satheesan was selected by the Congress High Command as the next Chief Minister of the state.
Satheesan was at the Contonment House in Thiruvananthapuram, the official residence of the Leader of the Opposition, when AICC leaders announced it in New Delhi.
Soon after the announcement, jubilant Satheesan supporters burst firecrackers and distributed sweets in several parts of the state.
Paravur in Ernakulam district, the Assembly constituency he has represented since 2001, witnessed large-scale celebrations.
Satheesan was widely seen as the frontrunner for the post, with UDF allies also backing his candidature during the selection process.
As the Leader of the Opposition in the outgoing Assembly, he led the UDF both inside and outside the House.
Apart from Satheesan, senior Congress leader Ramesh Chennithala and Congress MP K C Venugopal were also considered for the post.
