Mangalore, December 12: In what could have been a major catastrophe, as many as 13 Navy crew had a miraculous escape after a fire broke out aboard the Navy Sea King helicopter as it was taxiing for take-off at Mangalore Airport on Monday morning.
The crew included six high level officers of the Navy.
The incident occurred five minutes after the chopper landed at the airport. However, the fire was doused immediately and the crew evacuated safely.
The Southern Naval Command-based helicopter had arrived in Mangalore from Kochi on its way to Mumbai on a routine flying sortie.
In a statement issued to the media, Mangalore Airport Director M R Vasudeva Rao has said that the helicopter landed at the Airport for refueling at 10:45 am.
“When the chopper was on parking stand-1, a smoke was observed near the Rotors and was report to ATC Tower by CISF personnel at 10:56 am”, he said.
Mr Rao said that the rescue and firefighting services belonging to Airport Authority of India was immediately altered by Air Traffic Control and the fire which was developed, subsequently was put off by them using foam extinguishing media in concurrence with Air crew at 11: 00 am.
All the 13 personnel on board the helicopter were evacuated to safety, he said.
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