NRI business baron M.A. Yusuff Ali and six others had a miraculous escape as a private chopper in which they were ying bellylanded in a swamp at Panagad on the outskirts of Kochi. Seven, including LuLu Group chairman Ali and the pilot of the chopper, are admitted to a private hospital in Kumbalam, Kochi, with minor injuries.
The helicopter made a forced landing into a deserted bush near the Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) campus in Panangad at 8:30am, avoiding a major tragedy. It was supposed to land at the KUFOS campus ground but had to touchdown near the highway due to technical issues, according to initial reports.
The seven, including the pilot, managed to scramble out of the chopper as soon as it made a belly landing after an apparent engine malfunction. "All of them are safe. They are currently under observation," a top official of the Lakeshore Hospital where they are treated told PTI.
Locals claimed that there was heavy wind and rain in the area during the time of the accident. Yusuff Ali, 65, is the chairman and managing director of Abu Dhabi-based LuLu Group which operates hypermarkets and retail companies in many countries. He was honoured with Abu Dhabi's top civilian award for their noble and charitable contributions to the community by Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan.
