Indian air force helicopter crashes, killing all 7 on board

Police say an Indian air force helicopter has crashed in the country’s remote northeast bordering China, killing all seven people on board, including the crew members. (Photo by Jaskirat Singh Bawa/Flickr, CC BY-ND 2.0)

GAUHATI, India — Police say an Indian air force helicopter has crashed in the country’s remote northeast bordering China, killing all seven people on board, including the crew members.

The police control room says that the crash occurred on Friday in mountainous Tawang area in Arunachal Pradesh state.

The cause of the accident was not immediately known. The air force helicopter took off from an army helipad in the area.

Police said the army and police rescue teams have rushed to the mountainous area.

The Indian air force has in recent years suffered a lot of crashes of its MiG fleet acquired from the former Soviet Union.

The government says the accidents have been caused by both human error and technical defects.