Mumbai: The ill-fated helicopter which crashed into the Arabian sea while ferrying 25 ONGC (Oil and Natural Gas Corporation) employees on August 11, has been located 180 miles of Sagar Kiran lying upside down, even as the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) announced an inquiry into the cause of the crash.

"The night long search operations by the vessels of ONGC, Navy and Coast Guard led to the location of the MI-72 helicopter, lying upside down in the waters," an ONGC spokesperson said in Mumbai on August 12.

Efforts are on to bring up the chopper, which crashed three minutes after take-off with 29 persons on board, including four crewmembers of Mesco aviation.

The spokesperson said that only three bodies have so far been recovered, while 24 others are feared trapped in the chopper. Two survived the crash.

PTI