NRI bizman’s helicopter crash-lands in Kochi, all safe

Kochi, April 11: A helicopter carrying prominent NRI businessman M A Yusuff Ali, his wife and four others crashlanded at a marshy land near Kochi on Sunday morning, the police said.

All passengers including Yusuff Ali, who is chairman of international retail group Lulu Group, his wife and two other passengers along with two pilots on board the chopper owned by the company have been admitted to a private hospital.

“All of them are safe. They are currently under observation,” a top official of the Lakeshore hospital where they are treated told PTI.

The incident occurred at Panangad area at around 9 am on Sunday, according to a statement issued by Lulu Group International.

“Yusuff Ali, currently in Kerala, was on a short trip from his home in Kochi to visit a relative at nearby hospital. Due to the sudden deterioration of weather conditions and heavy rains, the experienced pilots decided to make precautionary landing at a safe place to prevent any risk to the life of the passengers or public at large,” the statement said.

“All passengers and crew underwent necessary medical checkup and are safe,” it said.

An eyewitness said a major accident was averted as the pilots managed to make safe landing in a marshy land near the NH Bypass at Panangad.

Besides the busy highway in the neighbourhood, the small plot of land with compound walls is surrounded by electric lines and buildings.