Arunachal Pradesh CM Khandu safe, chopper lands safely in Bhutan(Update:Arunachal Pradesh CM)

Itanagar, Apr 30 (ANI): A Pawan Hans Helicopter, which was flying from Tawang to Itanagar with Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, has landed safely in Bhutan after going missing since 10 am on Saturday morning.

The Arunachal chief minister is soon going to board a flight back to India as soon as possible.

Khandu was accompanied by two of his personal aides. The chopper had taken off from Tawang at 9:56 am and was to land at Itanagar at 11:30 am. It was last sighted at Sela Pass, 20 minutes after taking off from Tawang.

"The bad weather forced pilot to make an emergency landing wherever he can do. All measures were being taken by the state government to find out the Chief Minister's chopper," said Member of Parliament from Arunachal Pradesh Takam Sanjoy.

He further said that the news of Chief Minister's safety has brought a relief on the faces of all Arunachalees.

The Army and the Air Force had also launched an operation to locate the CM's chopper.

Khandu (56) had served in the intelligence wing of the Army and was sworn on April 9, 2007 as the fifth Chief Minister of the state, replacing Gegong Apang.

The PHHL has been operating five helicopters across Arunachal, Sikkim, Meghalaya, Nagaland and Tripura and daily Guwahati-Tawang services for the past nine years. It is one of the major lifelines of the landlocked Arunachal Pradesh.

The helicopter service on the Guwahati-Tawang route was suspended in the wake of three probes being over a Pawan Hans chopper crash on April 19, killing 17 people and injuring six. (ANI)