Sri Vijaya Puram, February 24 A Pawan Hans helicopter carrying seven people, including two crew members, crashed into the sea after taking off from Rangat in the North and Middle Andaman district on Tuesday, and all of them were rescued, officials said.
The accident occurred around 9:30 am, before its scheduled landing at Mayabunder in the district, they said.
All five passengers and the two crew members, rescued from mid-sea, have been admitted to a hospital, one of the officials said.
"The helicopter crashed into the sea around 9:30 am. An initial investigation revealed that there was a technical problem, and the pilot made an emergency landing in the sea," a senior Civil Aviation official said.
An investigation has been initiated, he said.
"On February 24, 2026, the PHL Dauphin N3 helicopter (VT PHY) took off from Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) at around 8:30 am for a passenger flight from Sri Vijaya Puram (Port Blair) to Rangat and further to Mayabunder.
"The helicopter landed at the Rangat helipad around 9:05 am. It then took off from Rangat to Mayabunder at around 9:10 am. The helicopter ditched about 300 metres short of the Mayabunder helipad in the sea (shallow water) at around 9:30 am," Pawan Hans Ltd, a central public sector undertaking based in Noida, said on X.
Five passengers and two crew members were on board.
"All passengers and crew members have been safely retrieved. PHL is actively coordinating with all relevant agencies," the helicopter operator said.
Civil Aviation Director Nitesh Rawat said, "We are still waiting for the pilot's statement. All injured people are being treated at the Dr Rajendra Prasad Hospital in Mayabunder. We are trying to bring the injured people to Sri Vijaya Puram."
North and Middle Andaman Deputy Commissioner Sushant Padha said the rescue team, including the police, forest personnel, and the Coast Guard, acted promptly and rescued all seven people.
"Those who were travelling in the helicopter are Rajita Devi, Kamala Chandra Das, Shipra Saha, Nambi Amma, and two pilots, Captain Anil Janu and Captain TPS Gulia. One child is still unidentified. All are safe," he said.
Andaman and Nicobar Islands DGP Hargobinder Singh Dhaliwal commended the Police Marine Force for their quick response and rescuing all the passengers and the crew members from mid-sea.
"We are assessing the situation on the ground, and our priority is to provide assistance to the injured," he said.