Coast guard helicopter crash in India's Gujarat claims three lives

An Indian Coast Guard helicopter crashed during landing at an airport in western India on Sunday, killing all three crew members aboard, officials said.

The Advanced Light Helicopter went down at approximately 12:10 p.m. local time at Porbandar airport in Gujarat state, according to local police superintendent Bhagirathsinh Jadeja, The Hindu reported.

The Advanced Light Helicopter is a twin-engine aircraft manufactured by India's state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited and is widely used by Indian defense forces for various operations.

The victims included two pilots and an air crew diver. They were rushed to a local hospital with severe burn injuries but did not survive, Porbandar police inspector Rajesh Kanmiya told The Hindu.

The crash occurred during what officials described as a routine training sortie, reported Turkey's Anadolu Agency. The Indian Coast Guard has launched an investigation into the incident.

Porbandar, a coastal city about 400 kilometers (250 miles) southwest of Gujarat's largest city Ahmedabad, serves as a strategic base for India's maritime security operations in the Arabian Sea.

The Indian Coast Guard has not yet released the identities of the deceased crew members pending notification of their families.