IAF team arrives in Muz to retrieve helicopter

Patna: The Indian Air Force (IAF) team on Monday started the operation to retrieve the helicopter, which made an emergency landing in floodwaters in Muzaffarpur district, on October 2. Recovery efforts are now underway with a team from the IAF arriving at the site in Madhuban Basi village under Aurai police station area in the district, said an official.
The team assessed the situation and began preparations to lift the helicopter using an earth-mover machine. According to officials, the helicopter is expected to be retrieved within next few days.
The helicopter made an emergency landing during a rescue operation for the flood-affected people in the area. According to Aurai police, the IAF team reached the village on Sunday evening and launched the retrieval process 11 days after the incident on Monday. Around two dozen IAF officials with four heavy trucks are making the efforts to pull the chopper.
“Before beginning the process, the IAF team also gathered information from the local villagers about the geographical features, current level of floodwaters, and inquired about the muddy areas. The floodwaters in the area have receded significantly in the last few days. We are also coordinating with the IAF team in the process. Specialised equipment and experts are also there in the IAF team,” said Sikandar Kumar, in charge of Aurai police station.