HYDERABAD: An Unmanned Aerial Vehicle of the Eastern Naval Command crashed into a hill at Himachal Nagar in Visakhapatnam on Thursday afternoon. The incident triggered panic among residents of the locality and surrounding areas. However, there was no casualty or loss of property.
The remote controlled UAV had taken off from the Indian naval air station Dega in the city on Thursday afternoon for a routine flight.
After hovering over the INS Dega for a few minutes, the aerial vehicle lost direction and crashed into the hill. Locals said the UAV generated a loud thud before crashing into the hill emanating dense smoke and fire. Sources said the UAV was about 3.6 m long and 1.6 m wide.
The Himachal Nagar area witnessed a huge crowd following the incident. Officials of the Indian Navy and police rushed to Himachal Nagar.
Moreover, enthusiastic locals reached the spot by climbing the big hill. Navy officials landed at the spot from Navy choppers and they reportedly collected the black box of the UAV. The aircraft was a Searcher MK-II UAV and it was returning to its base when the incident happened, Navy officials said. UAVs are used by the Navy for surveillance, reconnaissance, target acquisition and damage assessment during exercises and operational deployments.
"An Israeli-origin UAV of the Navy, which was on a routine mission, crashed into a hillside in the Gajuwaka area of Vizag. There has been no loss of life or property reported," officials said.
In June last year, one sailor died and three crew members of a Chetak helicopter were injured when it crashed into Sarada river at Tummapala of Anakapalle mandal in the district.