New Delhi: Confirming the death of
Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu, Home Minister
P Chidambaram on Thursday said the state Governor has been asked to
take "necessary consequential steps", an indication that a new
chief minister will be chosen.
"It is with profound regret and sadness, I have to
confirm the Chief Minister of Arunachal Pradesh was killed in
an air crash," Chidambaram told reporters here.
The body has been identified and airlifted to Tawang,
the chief minister`s native town.
Arunachal Pradesh Governor J J Singh has been asked to
take necessary consequential steps and the Union Cabinet will
be meeting in this regard at 11:30 AM, he said.
"The body has been identified by the officials in
Lugathang as well as by the family members who were air-lifted
to Lugathang... The two bodies (that of Khandu and a woman
co-passenger) have been air-lifted to Tawang," the Home
Minister said.
Khandu and four others, including two pilots, who took
off in a single-engine EuroCopter B8 of Pawan Hans, were
killed in the crash and the bodies and wreckage of the chopper
were spotted in a place between Kyela and Lugathang in the
mountainous region of the state yesterday. The helicopter went
missing on Saturday.
The other occupants of the helicopter were pilots Capt
J S Babbar, Capt T S Mamik, Khandu`s security officer Yeshi
Choddak and Yeshi Lhamu, sister of Tawant MLA Tsewang Dhondup.
About the other three bodies, Chidambaram said, "The
army team is making arrangements to bring the bodies,
presumably first to either Kyela or Lugathang and then to
Tawang, that will take some time".
PTI
