(News Trust of India) : In a concerning development, a military plane from Myanmar, notably a Shaanxi Y-8, encountered a runway incident at the well-known difficult Lengpui airport in India’s Mizoram. The event happened one day after India sent back 184 Myanmar Army personnel who had sought shelter in Mizoram during clashes with an ethnic rebel group.
The sad incident caused injuries to at least eight out of the 14 people on board the Myanmar military plane, after it slid off the unstable runway at Lengpui Airport. Media sources report that the plane was sent to transport Myanmar military men who had sought refuge in Mizoram due to heavy fighting with rebel groups in their own nation.
Information on the incident reveals that the aircraft from Myanmar, Shaanxi Y-8, went off the runway at Lengpui airport, resulting in the fuselage splitting in half.
The Director General of Police (DGP) of Mizoram, Anil Shukla, shared information, saying, “While landing, the plane went past the runway and got stuck in the bushes nearby. This resulted in considerable damage to the aircraft, carrying a total of 14 crew members, with eight of them receiving injuries,” as reported by ANI.
The event occurred at approximately 10:30 am local time, leading to the temporary halt of activities at the airport, as reported by the Indian official.
The timing of the crash is suspicious, happening just one day after India helped 184 Myanmar Army men return to Mizoram after seeking sanctuary there due to clashes with an ethnic rebel group along the borders.
Reports from India’s Assam Rifles later verified that over 276 soldiers from Myanmar entered the northeastern state the previous week. These soldiers were reportedly flown from the Lengpui airport using Myanmar’s Air Force planes. The remaining contingent of 92 soldiers was scheduled for repatriation on the upcoming Tuesday.
The military had entered Mizoram’s Lawngtlai district, specifically the Bandukbanga village, at the trijunction of India-Myanmar-Bangladesh on January 17. Subsequently, seeking aid, they approached the Assam Rifles for protection.
Under the watchful supervision of the Assam Rifles, the military troops, who had escaped after their camp was overtaken by ‘Arakan Army’ fighters, remained in Mizoram. Notably, in a prior event in November, approximately 100 Myanmarese soldiers were brought to the Indian border town of Moreh in Manipur from various areas in Mizoram using Indian Air Force helicopters before being repatriated.
