Coast Guard Helicopter Crashes in Gujarat During Training, 3 Dead

Coast Guard Helicopter Crashes: January 5, 2025, an Indian Coast Guard (ICG) Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Dhruv crashed in Gujarat’s Porbandar district during a routine training sortie, resulting in the death of all three crew members on board. The crash occurred around 12:10 PM at the Coast Guard Air Enclave, Porbandar.

"An Indian Coast Guard ALH Dhruv crashed today in Porbandar, Gujarat during a routine training sortie," Indian Coast Guard Officials told news agency ANI.

FLASH: All 3 crew members including 2 pilots dead in the ALH Dhruv helicopter crash in Gujarat’s Porbandar.

A similar ALH helicopter crash happened in September this year and the ICG had grounded all ALHs in its fleet for checks.#ALHDhruv #HelicopterCrash #IndianCoastGuard… pic.twitter.com/GcHyRwbZVU

— The New Indian (@TheNewIndian_in) January 5, 2025

While trying to land on the runway of the Coast Guard airport, Porbandar Superintendent of Police Bhagirathsinh Jadeja said.

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The chopper crashed near the runway and caught fire, which was later brought under control with the help of a fire tender, he said.

They were then rushed to a nearby hospital in Porbandar with severe burn injuries.

Despite efforts to save them, all three crew members succumbed to their injuries at the hospital, confirmed Inspector Rajesh Kanmiya from Kamala Baug police station.

ICG officials have confirmed the fatalities and stated that an investigation into the cause of the crash is currently underway.

This same helicopter had recently played a key role in rescue operations during floods in Gujarat. "The Indian Coast Guard ALH, which saved 67 lives during the recent cyclonic weather in Gujarat, was launched around 11:00 pm on September 2, 2024, for the medical evacuation of a seriously injured crew member aboard the Indian-flagged motor tanker Hari Leela, about 45 km from Porbandar, in response to a request from the vessel's master," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

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The incident comes at a time when a critical safety upgrade on the military’s ALH fleet, initiated by HAL after a string of accidents last year, has been completed and the upgraded control system installed on the locally made choppers is expected to improve their airworthiness.

The Dhruv fleet, plagued by a nagging design issue, was grounded several times last year after the accidents called into question its flight safety record.

In September 2024, a Dhruv advanced light helicopter (ALH Mk-III) crashed into the Arabian Sea near Porbandar.

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