Mumbai, Aug 11: As many as 26 workers of the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) and four crew members were feared killed when a helicopter crashed into the Arabian Sea soon after taking off from the Sagar-Kiran offshore rig, nearly 70 kms away from the Mumbai Coast today.
The chopper owned by Mesco airline and chartered by the ONGC plunged into the sea at 12:18 am soon after it took off from the helipad aboard the Sagar Kiran rig, ONGC's spokeswoman Narayani Mahil said here.
Mahil said that the incident took place soon after the MI-172 helicopter took off from the rig in the Neelam oil fields.
A massive rescue operation has been launched with the help of the Indian Navy and coast guard, she informed over telephone.
Expert divers have also reached the site of accident in search of survivors.
The cause of the mishap is yet to be ascertained.
Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) officials refused to comment at this stage.
Bureau Report
