Assam: Bad weather prompts chopper carrying AJP team to make emergency landing

GUWAHATI:

A helicopter carrying a three-member Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) delegation had to make an emergency landing at Rowriah airport in Jorhat on Sunday afternoon owing to unfavourable weather.

Three members, Jiaur Rahman, Sambit Sarma and Assamese cine artiste, Zerifa Wahid, who had recently joined the regional party, were returning from Lahorighat in central Assam’s Morigaon district to Dibrugarh in Upper Assam when the chopper carrying them encountered a cyclonic storm while flying over the Kaziranga area.

“We had left Mohanbari Airport (in Dibrugarh) for Lahorighat at 10 am to attend a poll rally. However, during our return flight (take-off at 3.10pm), a cyclonic storm prompted the pilot to make an emergency landing in Jorhat,” Rahman, who is also a spokesperson for AJP, informed later.

The party members however could not gauge the “dangerous situation” and only came to know about it after the emergency landing.

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“We came to know only after getting off the chopper at the airport in Jorhat. The helicopter was shaking somewhat and we could only see smoke and darkness outside. Our pilot, who is from Greece, made the emergency landing possible with great skill,” the party spokesperson said.

The pilot informed the party members that it was dangerous to proceed to Dibrugarh by the chopper because of the unfavourable weather.

Later, the AJP members had to proceed to Duliajan by road.

(Edited by Christopher Gatphoh)