Jharkhand CM injured in chopper crash at airport

Jharkhand Chief Minister Arjun Munda on Wednesday suffered injuries in a helicopter accident at the Birsa Munda Airport in Ranchi.

"The chief minister suffered injuries when the helicopter met with an accident while landing," Ranchi Superintendent of Police Ranji Kumar said.

The chief minister was admitted to a hospital, he said.

The helicopter was returning to Birsa Munda Airport around noon after it could not land at Kuchai in Sareikela-Kharsawan district, nearly 100 km from Ranchi.

"The helicopter fell from a height apparently due to a technical problem while landing," a close aide of the chief minister said.

The chopper suffered damage in the mishap, he said.

Jharkhand Director General of Police G S Rath said, "The chief minister was accompanied in the helicopter by his wife, an MLA and a security officer."

He said the helicopter made a "forced landing" and in the process the chief minister and others got "some injuries but were safe."

"They have been taken to Apollo Hospital but there is no cause to worry," he said.

In May last year, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorji Khandu was killed along with four others after their helicopter crashed in bad weather in a hilly terrain in the state.

Earlier, in September 2009, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Y S Rajasekhara Reddy was killed in Kurnool district when the helicopter carrying him crashed.