Uttarakhand floods: Chopper hard lands in Harsil, no one injured

A private helicopter engaged in rescue work in Uttarakhand today made a hard landing at a helipad in Harsil.

The Pawan Hans helicopter was on a rescue mission from Mateli to the helipad at Harsil, located at 9,000 feet above sea level, when the incident took place around 8 am today.

The helicopter was hit by a draft of air, just short of landing at the Harshil helipad as a result of which it made a hard landing, a statement from the company said.

“All Crew and one passenger (Police Constable) on board at the time of the landing are safe. No injuries are reported to anybody,” the statement said.

The company also said that their pilots have handled the adverse weather conditions with an exemplary manner showing extreme level of expertise in handling the situation at high altitude.

Television reports showed the chopper with the damaged tail portion and it seemed unlikely that the helicopter would be able to take off until repairs are completed.