New Delhi:
A video of an air ambulance helicopter making an emergency landing in Uttarakhand’s Kedarnath after developing a technical snag has gone viral on social media.
The helicopter reportedly suffered a tail rotor malfunction, after which the pilot brought it to land with great difficulty. The pilot’s quick thinking saved three lives, local officials said.
Footage of the incident showed the helicopter coming in fast for an emergency landing, but fell short of the helipad and hit the side of the facility.
After it landed, the helicopter took a full 360-degree turn due to the lift generated from the still moving rotors. People standing near the helipad were seen rushing towards the helicopter to help in rescue.
The ‘Sanjeevani’ helicopter ambulance was operated by the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) in Rishikesh, news agency PTI reported.
Two doctors and a pilot who were in the helicopter are safe, district tourism development officer Rahul Chaubey said.
The air ambulance came to Kedarnath to rescue a pilgrim suffering from respiratory distress when it developed technical snag in its tail rotor and made the emergency landing, said Mr Chaubey, who is also the nodal officer for the helicopter service.
The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) will conduct an investigation into the incident, Mr Choubey said.
