6 choppers pressed into service to locate missing helicopter

A total of six helicopters were today pressed into service to locate the chopper carrying Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu and four others which went missing yesterday even as ground operations were stepped up on both Indian and Bhutanese sides.

Home secretary GK Pillai said that two helicopters flew into Bhutanese side and four flew over the Indian areas but without any luck.

"We have about 25 search parties scouring along the areas and the Royal Bhutanese Army were conducting the search in their areas. The search operations were focussed on the areas where people claim to have seen a heliopter flying around yesterday morning," he said.

Pillai said that the operation will resume early morning and they are hopeful of locating the chief minister's chopper tomorrow.