Two Navy personnel dead as glider crashes in Kochi

A Defence spokesperson said the naval power glider was on a routine training sortie and took off from INS Garuda. It crashed near Thoppumpady bridge close to the naval base at around 7 am.

Kochi: Two Navy personnel died as a glider on routine flight crashed here on Sunday morning, a Defence spokesperson said.

He said the naval power glider was on a routine training sortie and took off from INS Garuda. It crashed near Thoppumpady bridge close to the naval base at around 7 am.

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One officer, Lt Rajeev Jha and Petty officer Sunil Kumar, who were in the glider, were rescued from the crash site and shifted to INHS Sanjivani.

However, they were declared brought dead, the spokesperson said.

The glider is being salvaged and a board of inquiry has been ordered by the Southern Naval Command into the incident, he said.