A technician belonging to the Aviation wing of the Indian Army sacrificed his life in the line of duty while two pilots received injuries when one of the Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III crashed after a ‘hard landing’  on the banks of Marua river in the Kishtwar district of Jammu division on Thursday.

A court of inquiry has also been ordered and further details are being ascertained, the Army said in a statement.

The 30-year-old  CFN (Avn Tech) Pabballa Anil, who hailed from Malkapur village of Rajanna Sirchilla district of Telangana made the supreme sacrifice in the line of duty.

According to a statement issued by the Udhampur based Northern Command headquarters, “The pilots had reported a technical fault to the Air Traffic Controller (ATC) and proceeded for a precautionary landing”. “At about 1115 hours on 04 May 2023, an Army Aviation ALH Dhruv helicopter on an operational mission made a precautionary landing on the banks of Marua river in the Kishtwar region of Jammu and Kashmir,” the Udhampur-based Northern Command said in a statement

“Due to the undulating ground, undergrowth and unprepared landing area, the helicopter apparently made a hard landing. Immediate rescue operations were launched and Army rescue teams reached the site,” the statement said.

The injured were evacuated to the command hospital in Udhampur, where the technician – Craftsman Pabballa Anil – succumbed to his injuries, the Army said. Chief of Army Staff (COAS) General Manoj Pande and All Ranks of Indian Army paid rich tributes to the technician and also offered deepest condolences to the bereaved family.

General Officer Commanding-in-chief of the Northern Command Lt Gen Upendra Dwivedi also paid rich tributes to the technician.