6.30 AM Tuesday, 19 March 2024
  • City Fajr Shuruq Duhr Asr Magrib Isha
  • Dubai 05:07 06:20 12:29 15:54 18:33 19:47
19 March 2024

Indian state chief's body recovered after crash

Published
By AFP

Indian soldiers on Thursday recovered the body of the chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh state and four other victims from the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed five days ago.

The helicopter carrying Dorjee Khandu, a member of the ruling Congress party, was found at a mountainous site in northeast India after a massive air and ground search.

Khandu's body was transferred to the state capital Itanagar, where thousands of people lined the streets as the cortege was driven to his official residence.

The flight lost contact with air traffic control in bad weather on Saturday morning soon after take-off from the Tawang region, near the Chinese border.

Dorjee Khandu was appointed in 2007 as chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh, a remote state which is claimed by China, and he was re-elected in 2009.

Two pilots, a security guard and one other passenger were among the dead.