Indian Coast Guard personnel bring the occupants of the crashed helicopter onto an inflatable boat near Mayabander Harbour in the Andaman Islands, February 24, 2026. The helicopter had been forced to make an emergency landing in the water due to a technical malfunction. Indian Coast Guard
Search and Rescue

Indian Coast Guard responds to helicopter crash off Andaman and Nicobar Islands

Will Xavier

The Indian Coast Guard has successfully rescued all seven people on board a commercial helicopter after it was forced to crash-land into the sea just off India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands earlier this week.

The incident occurred shortly after 09:30 local time on Tuesday, February 24, when the aircraft was forced to make an emergency landing near Mayabander Harbour due to technical fault.

Coast guard personnel as well as some local fishermen who witnessed the landing immediately deployed aboard small boats and headed for the crash site to render assistance.

Both pilots and all five passengers, including a three-month-old infant, were pulled out of the water and evacuated to shore, where they underwent initial medical examinations.

The rescued individuals were all later brought to hospital in Mayabander for further treatment, though local authorities have confirmed that none of the helicopter's seven occupants had suffered injuries from the crash.

A spokesperson for Pawan Hans, the operator of the helicopter, said that the aircraft was on a scheduled flight out of Port Blair on South Andaman Island when the malfunction occurred.