GUJRAT: In an incident off the Gujarat coast, three crew members from an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) have gone missing following a crash into the Arabian Sea during a rescue operation. The accident happened on the night of September 2, 2024, near Porbandar.

The helicopter was deployed at 11:00 PM to evacuate an injured crew member from the Motor Tanker Hari Leela, which was stranded off Gujarat’s coast. The ICG reported that the helicopter was compelled to make an emergency landing before it crashed into the sea.  The incident occurred about 45 kilometers from Porbandar while the helicopter was conducting a medical evacuation for a critically injured crew member aboard the Indian-flagged Motor Tanker Hari Leela.

The helicopter took off at approximately 11 pm on Monday for the rescue mission. As it neared the vessel, it had to land emergency at sea. The exact cause of this emergency landing is still under investigation by the Indian Coast Guard.

The helicopter had four crew members on board at the time of the incident. So far, one crew member has been found, but the search is ongoing for the remaining three. The wreckage of the aircraft has been located.

A large-scale search and rescue operation has been launched, with four ships and two aircraft deployed to locate the missing crew members. The Coast Guard officials detailed that the helicopter, which had recently been involved in saving lives during cyclonic weather, was responding to a medical evacuation request from the Hari Leela's master.

Earlier, on August 26, the Indian Coast Guard had successfully rescued 11 crew members from the distressed MV ITT Puma during a nighttime operation. The cargo vessel had sunk approximately 90 nautical miles south of Sagar Island in West Bengal. The distress signal was received late on August 25, prompting a swift response with two ICG vessels and a Dornier aircraft. The aircraft, equipped with night-vision sensors, helped locate the survivors who were then rescued despite challenging conditions.

In another incident on the same night, an Indian Air Force MiG-29 fighter jet crashed near the Uttarlai airbase in Barmer, Rajasthan. A video online showed the jet’s burning wreckage. Superintendent of Police Narendra Meena reported that the crash occurred away from populated areas, and there were no casualties. The MiG-29, which crashed due to a technical issue, saw the pilot eject safely. A court of inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the crash.

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