Aizawl: A Myanmar military plane, carrying a pilot and 14 other crew members, skidded off the runway Tuesday after landing at Lengpui airport in the outskirts of Mizoram capital Aizawl.
The mishap happened around 10.15 am, state officials said, adding that the aircraft was a Shaanxi Y-8 used for carrying troops and military cargo as well as dropping supplies and paratroops.
Eight people were injured of which four were said to be grievously hurt, sources said, adding that the group was rushed to Lengpui hospital.
Of the 276 Tatmadaw (Myanmar Army) personnel, who entered Bandukbanga village in Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, 184 were airlifted and evacuated Monday by Myanmar air force’s cargo plane from Lengpui airport to Sittwe (Akyab) port town of Myanmar’s Rakhine state.
Two air sorties with 92 soldiers each took off from Lengpui airport at around 11 am and 1 pm, the source said, adding that the remaining soldiers were to be evacuated Tuesday.
The Tatmadaw personnel had entered Bandukbangavillage in southernmost Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district on Wednesday last after Arakan Army (AA) overran the Khankha mountain 979 Myanmar military base in southern Chin state.
The armed Myanmar soldiers included 36 army officers headed by a Colonel and 240 other ranks. Later, they were taken by the Assam Rifles to its Zokhawsang headquarters near Aizawl.
Overall, 635 Myanmar soldiers had crossed the international border seeking shelter inside Mizoram after their camps were overran and captured by ethnic armed outfits and local civilian militia groups and crossed the international border seeking shelter inside the state.
Of these, 543 Myanmar soldiers have already been evacuated to their country till Monday.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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