SOURCE: Express News Service
In a shocking incident, two Navy officers died after a power glider they were flying lost control and crashed in Kochi early on Sunday.
According to Navy spokesperson, the glider took off from INS Garuda, the Naval Air Station of Southern Naval Command at around 7 am. The officers – Lieutenant Rajiv Jha and Petty Officer (Electrical Air) Sunil Kumar were on a routine training sortie when the glider developed a technical glitch and crashed near the BOT Bridge at Thoppumpady around 7.15 am.
People who were out for a morning walk saw the glider crashing and informed Harbour police. A Navy team rushed to the spot and shifted the two officers to INS Sanjeevani, the Navy Hospital.
“The officers were critically injured and a Navy ambulance shifted them to INS Sanjeevini. Unfortunately, they were brought dead,” said Navy Spokesperson Sridhar Warrier.
The wreckage was salvaged and taken to the Kochi Naval Base. A Board of Inquiry has been ordered by the Southern Naval Command into the incident.
Lt Rajiv Jha, 39, is a native of Dehradun and Sunil Kumar, 29, a native of Bhoj in Bihar.
