Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu Dead in Copter Crash

The wreckage of the missing Pawan Hans helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu and four others was found in Lobotang area near Jang waterfall in Tawang district on Wednesday morning.

According to sources the search parties have traced the crash site and located three bodies there. The bodies have not been identified yet.

However, there is no official confirmation of Khandu's death. "The search party has sighted what appeared to be the site of the crashed chopper. The party also said that they have sighted three bodies. They have not reached the site yet,” Home Minister P Chidambaram said.

The Pawan Hans AS350 B-3 helicopter carrying the Chief Minister and four others went missing after it took off from Tawang at 9.50 am on Saturday. The last radio contact with the ground was about 20 minutes after take -off as it flew over the Sela Pass along the Chinese border perched at an altitude of 13,700 feet.

Khandu first became chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh on April 9, 2007. He became chief minister for the second time on October 25, 2009.