A tragic helicopter accident occurred early Wednesday morning in the Bavdhan region of Pune, Maharashtra, resulting in the deaths of three individuals on board.
The incident took place at approximately 6:45 AM when the helicopter, which had taken off from a golf course helipad nearby, crashed in a hilly area and subsequently caught fire. Among the deceased are two pilots, Paramjit Singh and G K Pillai, along with engineer Pritam Bharadwaj.
Devendra Prabhakar Potphode, the chief fire officer, reported, “Upon arrival, we found the helicopter wreckage scattered across the site, engulfed in flames. We managed to recover three bodies, which were then turned over to the police for further investigation. More details are yet to be confirmed.”
Initial reports indicate that the helicopter, registered as VT EVV, was owned by Heritage Aviation and was based in Pune. It was chartered by the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for a trip to Mumbai, as confirmed by NCP leader Sunil Tatkare, who intended to visit Raigad.
Images and videos circulating online show the helicopter ablaze with thick smoke billowing into the sky.
Emergency services responded promptly, with four fire tankers from the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the Pune Metropolitan Region Development Authority (PMRDA) deployed to the crash site.
While the precise cause of the crash remains unknown, authorities suggest that dense fog may have contributed to the tragic event.
In a related incident last August, a private helicopter en route from Mumbai to Hyderabad crashed in Paud village, Pune, but fortunately, all four passengers survived, although they sustained injuries, as reported by Pankaj Deshmukh, Superintendent of Police (Pune Rural).
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