Three persons have died after a helicopter crashed at Bavdhan near Pune shortly after take-off this morning. It is not known if it was a government or a private chopper. Two pilots and an engineer were onboard the helicopter.

Police in Pune’s Pimpri Chinchwad said the helicopter crashed in a hilly area around 6.45 am today. “A helicopter crashed in Bavdhan area of Pune district. According to primary information, two persons are feared dead. It is yet to be ascertained whose helicopter it was,” Senior Inspector Kanhaiya Thorat said, news agency PTI reported.

Local media reports said the helicopter had taken off from Oxford Golf Club’s helipad and dense fog in the area may have led to the crash. A rescue operation is underway.

Visuals from the crash sight show a massive wreckage and tall flames.

A helicopter, an Augusta 109, crashed in Pune’s Bavdhan area on Wednesday morning, resulting in the feared deaths of two pilots and an engineer. The chopper, owned by Heritage Aviation, had taken off from the Oxford Golf Club helipad and was headed to Mumbai. Low visibility conditions may have contributed to the crash.

The police investigation initially revealed that there are villages with the same name in Bijnor, Baghpat and Bulandshahr districts and no concrete information could be found from any of these villages. After questioning, the man informed that his village was located near the Chola railway station. This helped the police to track down his family