TAWANG, India, April 19 (UPI) -- Officials said they feared 17 people died Tuesday when a helicopter caught fire and crashed into a gorge in the Indian state of Arunachal Pradish.
Tawang district official G. Padu said 17 of the 23 people on board were "presumed dead" and six were rescued, Press Trust of India reported.
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The helicopter, which took off from Guwahati, crashed near a mountaintop helipad in the town of Tawang, falling nearly 50 feet into the gorge, officials said.
PTI did not cite a possible cause.
Officials said the helicopter had 18 passengers, including two children, and five crew members.
