An army helicopter on an “operational mission” crashed on “hard-landing” in a remote valley in Kishtwar district of Jammu on Thursday morning, killing a technician and injuring the two pilots.

The crash took place at 11.15am in the Marwah area, which has no mobile network and whose road links had been cut off by snowfall.

Villagers from surrounding areas arrived at the spot in numbers to rescue the men before teams from the army and police arrived.

The injured were flown to Udhampur, where police sources said the technician had died of his wounds. The Northern Command of the army identified the dead person as aviation technician Pabballa Anil.

The Northern Command said that a Dhruv, an Army Aviation ALH (advanced light helicopter) that was on “an operational mission” had made a precautionary landing on the banks of the Marua river.

“As per inputs, the pilots had reported a technical fault to the air traffic controller and proceeded for a precautionary landing. Due to the undulating ground, undergrowth and unprepared landing area, the helicopter apparently made a hard-landing,” an army spokesperson said.

“Immediate rescue operations were launched and army rescue teams reached the site. Two pilots and a technician were on board and all three injured personnel have been evacuated to Command Hospital, Udhampur.”

The army said a court of inquiry had been constituted and provided with details about the operation.