Hyderabad/UNI: Lt Col Vuppala Vinay Bhanu Reddy from Yadadri Bhuvanagiri District of Telangana, died in an Army helicopter crash near Mandala in West Kameng district of Arunachal Pradesh on Thursday.

A pall of gloom descended on Bommalaramaram village of Yadadri Bhuvanagiri District after news spread that a native of their village, Lt Col died in an Army helicopter crash in Arunachal Pradesh..

In the crash, two pilots – Lt Colonel Reddy and co-pilot Major Jayanth A– died when the single engine, multirole Cheetah helicopter crashed during an operational sortie between Missamari in Assam’s Sonitpur and Tawang in Arunachal, close to the China border.

Lt Col Reddy, son of Venkatesh, a farmer, served in the Indian Army for 23 years. His wife Spandana is also a doctor in the Army.

He is survived by two daughters.