Helicopter crashes in Pune, burst into flames, 3 feared dead

At least three people were killed after a helicopter crashed in Maharashtra's Pune district and caught fire on Wednesday morning, police said. It was not immediately known whether it was a government or a private chopper.

The police said the helicopter crashed in Pune's Bavdhan Budruk area on Wednesday, adding that a preliminary report suggested low visibility as a possible reason behind the crash.

"A helicopter crashed in the Bavdhan area of Pune district. As per primary information, three people are feared dead. It is yet to be ascertained whose helicopter it was as it is currently up in flames," a senior official of the Pune Police said.

Earlier in August this year, in a similar incident, a private helicopter crashed near Paud village in Pune while en route to Hyderabad from Mumbai's Juhu, injuring four people onboard.

The helicopter, an AW 139 model, carried four passengers when the incident occurred. The injured were identified as Anand Captain, who was hospitalized in a nearby facility. In contrast, three other people, identified as Deer Bhatia, Amardeep Singh, and SP Ram, were reported to be in stable condition. The helicopter belonged to a private aviation company named Global Vectra.