Indian falls from helicopter as 3 die in doomed rescue

Harrowing video footage captured the moment a man fell from an army helicopter in India – one of three who fell to his death during the doomed rescue of tourists stuck in cable cars for up to 46 hours.

Footage showed the man swinging wildly as he was hoisted to one of the rescue helicopters above Trikut Hill, where about 60 people were trapped, The Tribune India said.

People on the ground clapped and cheered as he made it to the helicopter – only to gasp in horror as he suddenly fell away.

He was among three people who fell to their deaths, officials told local media, while 12 others were hospitalized with unspecified injuries.

The fatal falls involved two unidentified tourists and a 60-year-old woman, Shobha Devi, who “fell from the helicopter” while attempting to rescue the final 15 people who remained trapped until late Tuesday, local officials said.

At least were injured after jumping out of the trapped cars, local reports said.

The army released additional footage showing some of those successfully rescued – including a frightened elderly woman – being pulled onto the helicopters.

Local officials ordered an urgent investigation into why the cable car stopped working, trapping dozens in the more than 2,500-foot-long network in the nearly 1,300-foot mountains.

Noting that the site is also “a world-renowned religious site”, Governor Ramesh Bais told The Tribune of the tragedy “very sad and painful”.