UDOOSA, Nov 6: A United Nations helicopter carrying a senior UN official and Western and Pakistani reporters landed by mistake in occupied Kashmir on Sunday during a tour of the Pakistani earthquake zone.
The mistake was made after incorrect coordinates were entered into a flight plan, a UN spokeswoman said.
“You are presently standing in Indian territory,” an Indian army captain said as he boarded the aircraft, shortly after it touched down at a military helipad here, about 6km from the Line of Control.
The aircraft had been bound for Chinari in Azad Jammu and Kashmir.
“It seems we’re about 20km off course,” said UN spokeswoman Amanda Pitt. She said the helicopter had landed at the correct coordinates given on the UN flight plan. “It seems it’s a misunderstanding resulting from several emails that went back and forth,” Ms Pitt said.
An Indian army officer said he believed it was the first time such a mistake had been made by a UN helicopter although a UN official said foreign military helicopters helping with the relief operation had made similar mistakes.
Buildings around the helipad in Udoosa were damaged by the Oct 8 earthquake.
Indian soldiers invited the UN officials, the Ukrainian helicopter crew and journalists to stop for tea and candied fruit.
Senior UN Emergency Coordinator Rashid Khalikov negotiated with the Indian officers and appeared unperturbed. The Indian officials had behaved very professionally, he said.
Indian officers took names and a photograph of those on board before bidding farewell with handshakes and smiles all round.
When the helicopter landed back on the Pakistani side of the LoC a UN security officer greeted the aircraft with a wry quip: “Welcome to China.”—Reuters
