A Cheetah helicopter of the Indian Army crashed in eastern Bhutan on Friday afternoon, killing two pilots on board, official sources said

The crash occurred around 1 pm, and the wreckage of the helicopter had been found, the sources said.

The deceased Indian Army officer has been identified as Lt Col Rajneesh Parmar of Army Aviation Corps and his co-pilot was Captain Kalzang Wangdi of the Royal Bhutan Army.

"Indian Army undertakes training of pilots also," said the Army in a statement.

The wreckage was located after a ground search and rescue operation launched immediately from Yonphulla.

"The helicopter went out of radio and visual contact soon after 1 pm. The information about the crash reached soon thereafter following which search operations began," said an Army official.

Search and rescue operations were also launched by the Indian Air Force.

A high-level inquiry has been ordered, the sources said.

'Role Model'

Thousands of kilometres from the crash site, grief hovers over Lieutenant Colonel Rajneesh Parmar’s paternal home in Kangra’s Nanaua village. Lt Col. Rajneesh Parmar left behind his wife, and his son, 12-year-old Yadhuvansh Parmar. Friday was his birthday, sources said.

Lt. Col Parmar came from an army well versed with the military. His father retired from the Indian Air Force. His younger brother, Nikhil, is also a Lieutenant Colonel in the Indian Army. 

Although they have an ancestral home in the Kangra village, the family now lives in Maranda near Palampur. 

The pilot’s uncle Ved Parmar remembers him as a brilliant student who became a role model for young boys in the area.

“Rajneesh loved to visit his native village to meet his family,” his uncle said.