Itanagar: Five days after the helicopter that he was using went missing, Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu has been found dead in Luguthang, near the China border. A government official and a relative of Mr Khandu have identified his body.
The four other people on board with him - including two pilots, his security officer and a female politician - have also died.
"The Chief Minister and four others are dead," Union Minister for Development of Northeastern Region B K Handique told a press conference here this evening.
Kiran Rijiju, the adviser to the late chief minister said since it is snowing it will not be possible to bring in the bodies till tomorrow.
"I am afraid the news is sad and grim," said Home Minister P Chidambaram this afternoon, in his second press briefing of the day. In the morning, he had announced that debris of a helicopter and three bodies had been spotted from a hilltop near Jung Falls in the Tawang district.
Mr Chidambaram said that villagers in the area had communicated to a control room in Itanagar that three of the five dead bodies found were charred beyond recognition. In addition to Mr Khandu, villagers were able to identify Yeshi Lhamu, the sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup.
The Home Minister said that a Cheetah helicopter, which flew over the site, had also spotted the crashed helicopter and some bodies. A team from the nearest Army post at Kyela is trekking to the site of the tragedy.
Mr Khandu left Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday morning on a Pawan Hans helicopter. He was headed to Itanagar. The helicopter lost contact twenty minutes after it took off as it approached Sela Pass 13,000 feet above sea level. The area is known to be a challenging one for pilots, and the bad weather may have added to the complexity of the navigation required. (Watch: Dorjee Khandu - The Army man who led Arunachal) | (Read)
Massive ground search operations were conducted over the last few days, with bad weather making it tough for Air Force searches to operate. Satellite images from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were also studied by experts involved in the search and rescue operations.
Those on board with Mr Khandu were: Captain J S Babbar, Captain T S Mamik, the Chief Minister's security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lhamu, the sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup.
Krishna condoles Khandu's demise
After receiving the confirmation about Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu's death in a chopper crash, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna conveyed his heartfelt condolences to Mr Khandu's family.
"I am deeply pained to receive the confirmation of the tragic and untimely demise of a great son of India and the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Dorjee Khandu," Mr Krishna said in a statement.
"He was dedicated to the cause of improving the quality of lives of the people of Arunachal Pradesh. In his death, the state and country have lost a visionary administrator and an excellent human being," he added.
The four other people on board with him - including two pilots, his security officer and a female politician - have also died.
"The Chief Minister and four others are dead," Union Minister for Development of Northeastern Region B K Handique told a press conference here this evening.
Kiran Rijiju, the adviser to the late chief minister said since it is snowing it will not be possible to bring in the bodies till tomorrow.
Mr Chidambaram said that villagers in the area had communicated to a control room in Itanagar that three of the five dead bodies found were charred beyond recognition. In addition to Mr Khandu, villagers were able to identify Yeshi Lhamu, the sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup.
The Home Minister said that a Cheetah helicopter, which flew over the site, had also spotted the crashed helicopter and some bodies. A team from the nearest Army post at Kyela is trekking to the site of the tragedy.
Mr Khandu left Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday morning on a Pawan Hans helicopter. He was headed to Itanagar. The helicopter lost contact twenty minutes after it took off as it approached Sela Pass 13,000 feet above sea level. The area is known to be a challenging one for pilots, and the bad weather may have added to the complexity of the navigation required. (Watch: Dorjee Khandu - The Army man who led Arunachal) | (Read)
Massive ground search operations were conducted over the last few days, with bad weather making it tough for Air Force searches to operate. Satellite images from the Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) were also studied by experts involved in the search and rescue operations.
Those on board with Mr Khandu were: Captain J S Babbar, Captain T S Mamik, the Chief Minister's security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lhamu, the sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup.
Krishna condoles Khandu's demise
After receiving the confirmation about Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu's death in a chopper crash, External Affairs Minister SM Krishna conveyed his heartfelt condolences to Mr Khandu's family.
"I am deeply pained to receive the confirmation of the tragic and untimely demise of a great son of India and the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh Dorjee Khandu," Mr Krishna said in a statement.
"He was dedicated to the cause of improving the quality of lives of the people of Arunachal Pradesh. In his death, the state and country have lost a visionary administrator and an excellent human being," he added.
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