Shocking: Two Navy Officers killed in glider crash in Kochi

Two Naval officers were killed on Sunday morning after their glider crashed near the Thoppumpady bridge in Kochi. They took off from the INS Garuda on a routine training sortie. The glider crashed at around 7 am in the morning. People who were out for a morning walk saw the glider crashing and informed Harbour police.

A Navy team rushed to the spot and shifted the two officers to INS Sanjeevani, the Navy Hospital. The personnel suffered serious injuries and were later declared dead.

Kerala: Lt Rajeev Jha and Petty Officer Sunil Kumar, onboard a naval power glider, lost their lives after it crashed near Thoppumpady bridge near naval base this morning. It was on routine training sortie & took off from INS Garuda. Southern Naval Command orders Board of Inquiry. pic.twitter.com/pCDuoN5GLi

— ANI (@ANI) October 4, 2020

The two officers on the flight have been identified as Lt Rajeev Jha from Uttarakhand and Petty officer Sunil Kumar from Bihar. Jha is survived by his wife and two kids and Kumar is not married. They were declared dead by doctors at the INHS Sanjivani.

Initial reports suggest it was a freak accident. The wreckage was taken to the Kochi Naval Base. According to ANI, the Southern Naval Command has ordered a board of inquiry into the matter.

This incident comes two days after another officer was killed in Karnataka’ Karwar on Friday evening. His glider plunged into the sea. His trainer was injured and hospitalized.

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