Siliguri: An Indian Army chopper made an emergency landing due to a sudden mechanical fault in an abandoned area in Thakurnagar under Dabgram II Gram Panchayat near Siliguri on Tuesday afternoon.
According to reports, the chopper had taken off earlier in the day from the Salugara Army Camp for a routine aerial surveillance operation. While returning, it experienced a mechanical fault that forced the pilot to carry out an emergency landing in an open field. Fortunately, there were no injuries, fatalities, or property damage.
Soon after the landing, personnel from the NJP police station arrived to secure the area and manage the crowd that had quickly gathered around the site. Army sources later confirmed that the chopper is typically used for surveillance missions. Officers and jawans from both the Bagdogra Air Force Camp and Salugara Army Camp rushed to the location to assess and begin repairs on the chopper.
Shankar Tiwari, the Air Force Wing Commander and the Chief Public Relations Officer of the Eastern Command said: “The chopper had to make an emergency landing due to a mechanical fault. However, it belongs to the Indian Army and there is no reason for concern.”