An Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) of the Indian Coast Guard crashed in Gujarat's Porbandar, killing three people, sources told NDTV. Three crew members on board the helicopter died in the crash after it caught fire.
The ALH Dhruv, operated by the armed forces, crashed in an open field and caught fire, footage showed. The reason behind the crash is still unknown and an investigation has been launched.
The Dhruv helicopter was on a routine flight when it crashed. The crash took place near the Indian Coast Guard air enclave and the crash also injured several people. They are being treated at the civil hospital, sources said.
The Indian Coast Guard is a maritime law enforcement and search and rescue service, with jurisdiction in the territorial waters of India.
The identities of the victims are unknown and more details are awaited.
Four months ago in September, three crew members went missing after the ALH MK-III helicopter fell into the Arabian Sea near Porbandar. While the bodies of two crew members were subsequently recovered, the search continued for Rakesh Kumar Rana, the pilot in command of the mission.
After a month-long search, the pilot's body was recovered by the coast guard off the coast of Gujarat in October.
The helicopter crashed while trying to evacuate an injured man aboard motor tanker Hari Leela, almost 30 nautical miles off the coast of Porbandar.
Two years ago, a series of flaws were discovered in the ALH Dhruv helicopter, which is operated by the army, navy and air force.
There were certain design and metallurgical issues with some of the components identified. The investigation was conducted after platform accidents forced the Army and Indian Air Force to ground their fleets.
The grounded helicopters resumed operations after completing the safety audit.
The Indian Navy, IAF, Army and Coast Guard have a total of over 325 ALH Dhruv helicopters and all of these have undergone technical checks following the 2023 accident incidents.