Two Indian Navy personnel dead as glider crashes in Kochi

KOCHI: A glider aircraft of Indian Navy crashed near Kochi Naval Airport on Sunday morning, critically injuring an officer and sailor on board.

The power-hand glider which was on a regular training sortie, crashed into the area opposite the walkway near Mattancherry BOT bridge, located a stone's throw away from the Kochi Naval Airport.

The crew — Lieutenant Rajeev Jha and Sunil Kumar — were extracted from the debris and rushed to INS Sanjivani, the hospital in the Southern Naval Command, by Navy personnel, official sources said. They were declared brought dead.

The police said that the crash occurred at around 6.50am. The official statement of the navy will be recorded shortly, they said. The glider was attached to INS Garuda, Naval Air Station of the Southern Naval Command, Kochi. Lt. Jha (39) hailed from Dehradun in Uttarkhand, and is survived by his wife and two children. Petty Officer (Electrical Air) Kumar (29) hailed from Bhoj in Bihar and is survived by his parents.