Tuesday, June 21 2005 15:14 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Jammu: At least 14 Army personnel were injured, five of them seriously, when an Mi-17 Air-Force helicopter crashed after hitting a tree in Poonch district, top Army sources said.

The chopper, with 19 personnel on board, was on an operational maintenance sorty, when it crashed at Dera wali gali helipad while landing this morning, Col D K Badola of the 16 Corps, told sources in Jammu.

The rotar blades of the chopper hit a tree while landing, and lost its balance and caught fire. The pilots sounded warning bells telling the personnel to jump out, Badola said adding that due to the fire and jumping 12 Army men and two IAF men were injured.

The pilots, Station Manager and Group Captain R Shanker and Wing Commander S Sinha escaped unhurt, while the chopper rolled down 200 feet downhill, Col Badola said.

An official release in Delhi, however, said eight personnel and one crew member (a flight engineer) was injured in the crash. No serious injuries had been reported and there was "no/minor" damage to civil property.

The injured have been hospitalised in Potha military hospital, Col Badola said.

Top IAF sources ruled out sabotage and said that a court of inquiry has been ordered into the crash.