NEW DELHI, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Two pilots and an engineer were killed Wednesday after a helicopter belonging to a private firm crashed and caught fire in the western Indian state of Maharashtra, police said.
The helicopter belonging to the Delhi-based Heritage Aviation crashed in Bavdhan of Pune district, about 147 km southeast of Mumbai, the capital city of Maharashtra.
"Today morning, a helicopter from a private firm took off from the Oxford County Golf Course helipad in Pune. However, it crashed and caught fire near a hilly terrain in Bavdhan area," a police official said. "Three people --two pilots and an engineer -- onboard were killed in the helicopter crash."
According to police, the chopper was heading to Juhu in Mumbai.
Immediately after the crash, police and fire service department teams reached the spot to douse the flame and recover the bodies.
Police said there was dense fog in the area, which is primarily suspected to have led to the helicopter crash.
"A probe has been ordered into the incident to ascertain the exact cause behind the crash," the police official said. ■
