Sunday, August 21 2005 11:17 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Panaji: More than 24 hours after a naval helicopter crashed with six crew members on board, search parties have been unable to locate possible survivors or the wreckage of the plane.

Extensive search operation were on but were being hampered by the dense forest as also weather in the area of the suspected air crash, a naval release said here yesterday (August 20, 2005).

"The navy is carrying out intensive and continued air and ground searches in the area where a Kamov 28 copter was lost two days back (August 19, 2005). The survivors and wreckage of the helicopter is yet to be located," the release said.

"Army units of Maratha Light Infantary Centre, local Coast Guards, IAF helicopters are supplementing the co-ordinated search. The local police authorities are also assisting in search operation," the release added.

A Kamov 28 helicopter of the navy, on its way to Vishakapatanam, crashed in Khanapur district near Goa-Karnataka border on Friday (August 19, 2005) afternoon with six crewmembers on board.

Four of them were feared killed in the crash but naval sources could not confirm it.