3 killed in Indian Coast Guard helicopter crash in Gujarat

Three Indian Coast Guard (ICG) crew members lost their lives on Sunday after their helicopter crashed and caught fire at an airport on the outskirts of Porbandar city in Gujarat.

The incident occurred at 12:10 PM when the ICG's Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH), returning from a routine sortie, crashed while attempting to land on the runway of the Coast Guard airport, according to Porbandar Superintendent of Police Bhagirathsinh Jadeja.

The helicopter crashed near the runway and immediately caught fire. Firefighters quickly responded, bringing the blaze under control, but all three crew members suffered severe burns, officials said.

The crew members were rescued from the wreckage and rushed to a hospital in Porbandar. 
"Two were declared brought dead at the hospital, while the third, who was alive upon arrival, succumbed to his injuries later," said Kamala Baug Police Station Inspector Rajesh Kanmiya.

The identities of the victims have not yet been disclosed, authorities confirmed.

This incident marks the second crash involving an ICG ALH in less than five months. On September 2 last year, another ALH MK-III helicopter crashed into the Arabian Sea off Porbandar, resulting in the deaths of three crew members. While the bodies of the pilot and a diver were recovered shortly after the crash, the third crew member’s body was found more than a month later.

Authorities are investigating the cause of the crash, which adds to growing concerns about the safety and reliability of the ICG’s Advanced Light Helicopter fleet.