Hours before Vice President Venkaiah Naidu's visit, Navy's unmanned aircraft crashes in Kochi
By Express News Service | Published: 21st November 2017 12:36 PM |
Last Updated: 21st November 2017 01:30 PM | A+A A- |
KOCHI: A remotely piloted aircraft 'Searcher' of Indian Navy crashed near the Southern Naval Command in Kochi on Tuesday.
According to the Navy officers, the aircraft, which was on a routine surveillance mission, crashed North of the naval airfield INS Garuda, shortly after take-off, at 10.25 am.
"The aircraft crashed in the vicinity of the HHA Tank Terminal on the northern side of Willingdon Island. However, there has been no casualty or damage to property," said official spokesperson of Indian Navy.
Sources said a major tragedy was averted as the crash site was near to a bulk liquid terminal near the base. HHA Tank Terminal Pvt. Ltd. is a bulk liquid terminal facility at Willingdon Island, Cochin Port.
A Navy release said a Board of Inquiry is being constituted to investigate the cause of the accident.
The incident raised a security concern as the incident occurred hours before the Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu's arrival to Kochi on a two-day visit to the city at the Naval Airport by 12 noon.
