A helicopter with Chief Minister of Maharashtra on board crashed in Latur district and all the lives were saved rather miraculously. The chopper hit high tension electrical cable in a variable wind pattern at the time as the wind speed suddenly reduced. The helicopter had taken off minutes before and the villagers were following the path of the helicopter then. There were five others on board and they had a providential escape. Sabotage is not ruled out yet. An inquiry has been ordered to investigate the cause of the accident. On board the ill-fated choppers were principal secretary and personal assistant and media advisor of the chief minister. However, there were causalities and its debris flew at least 100 feet away shows the intensity of the accident and the impact when it hit the ground. It was rather surprising that after hitting high-tension electrical cable wires, the copter escaped fire. The chopper accidents involving dignitaries is on the increase and it is time to save the life of VIPs and our pilots from such disasters in future by following the guidelines in flying choppers. A thorough inquiry can ascertain the exact cause of the accident and may provide a lead to avert such accidents in future. Travelling through helicopter has become dangerous and has an inherent threat nowadays. CM acknowledged blessings of 11 crore residents of Maharashtra.
Nickhil Mani
(The views expressed by the author in the article are his/her own.)
