The two rotary blades of a MI-17 Russian helicopter of Air Anna were damaged after landing at Mangalsen, the headquarters of Accham district, 600 kms northwest of the capital Tuesday afternoon, CEO of the Airline Banwari Lal Mittal said.
The damage was major, he said. He did not confirm or deny a published report that the helicopter was ferrying soldiers and supplies to Achham which is an insurgency-affected district.
Nobody was injured in the accident. A team is flying to the accident site Thursday to probe the incident. The helicopter was the only operational chopper of the company which will resume operations in two weeks after repairs, he said.
Maoists destroyed two of its helicopters in attacks in Jiri and Dunai. The rebels inflicted heavy casualties in an attack on an army barrack at Mangalsen earlier this year.
nepalnews.com br July 24