Last Updated on August 11, 2021 at 12:41 pm
Two army pilots who went missing after a helicopter crash in Ranjit Sagar Reservoir still could not be recovered after a week of search operation. Now India is likely to seek Israeli help with specialized equipment.
An Army Aviation Corps helicopter with two pilots had crashed into Ranjit Sagar Dam Lake in Basohli area of Kathua district of Jammu and Kashmir on August 3 and they have been missing. Since then search operations are going on.
But now as per reports, the concerned authorities will ask help of Israel for specialized equipment which can be used underwater at much shallower depths than Indian systems.
Although there are systems with India which can operate at much deeper levels but they are larger and are onboard naval vessels. Thus to get them to a reservoir is not possible.
Also there is a particular depth up to which divers can reach and going beyond compression chambers or special ships are needed.
The younger brother of one of the pilots which crashed into the Ranjit Sagar Dam reservoir, expressed anguish at the slow pace of search and recovery operations.
Western Army Command issued a statement that military authorities are leaving no stone unturned to search for the helicopter and the pilots, adding that international help is also being sought.
Moreover, multi-beam sonars, side scanners, remotely operated vehicles and underwater manipulators have also been flown in from Chandigarh, Delhi, Mumbai and Kochi, reportedly.
