A tragic helicopter crash in Pune’s Bavdhan area claimed the lives of three individuals early Wednesday morning. The incident occurred around 6:45 AM after the helicopter, which had taken off from a helipad at a nearby golf course, went down in hilly terrain.
Among the deceased are two pilots, identified as Paramjit Singh and G K Pillai, along with an engineer, Pritam Bharadwaj. According to Chief Fire Officer Devendra Prabhakar Potphode, when emergency services arrived at the crash site, they found the helicopter in ruins, with parts scattered and a smoldering fire. The remains of the victims were subsequently recovered and handed over to local police.
The helicopter was operated by Heritage Aviation and bore the registration number VT EVV. It had been chartered by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for a trip to Mumbai, where NCP chief Sunil Tatkare was scheduled to visit Raigad.
Authorities have deployed four fire tankers from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) to the crash site to assist with recovery efforts. While the exact cause of the crash remains under investigation, preliminary reports suggest that dense fog in the area may have contributed to the accident.
This incident follows a previous helicopter mishap in August, when a private helicopter flying from Mumbai to Hyderabad crashed in Pune’s Paud village. Fortunately, all four occupants survived that crash, although they did sustain injuries.
Sources By Agencies
