Fatal plunge: Army helicopter crashes in Chenab river

GUJRANWALA:

The debris of a Pakistan Army Aviation helicopter, which went missing earlier on Wednesday, has been found.

The helicopter crashed in the Chenab river between Gujranwala and Gujrat while it was on a routine training sortie. While army and police teams have recovered the copter’s debris from the river, the pilot Major Zahid Bari and trainee officer Captain Ahmed remain missing.

According to sources who are part of the rescue effort, the helicopter’s doors were open and the belts torn, suggesting the two officers jumped out of the chopper in an effort to save their lives.

Four helicopters and a team of divers are taking part in the rescue. The fast current, however, has been a major hurdle.

According to the station commander, a mesh has been fixed against the river’s current in hopes that it will hold any bodies that could otherwise flow away.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 24^th, 2012.