According to an official press release, the ill-fated Army aviation helicopter, which they were flying, was on an operational mission to establish contact with and drop essential supplies for a long-range patrol party in Sangla valley on the Indo-Tibet border. The bodies have been recovered.

Accoring to eyewitnesses, the helicopter was flying at a height of about 8,000 feet and took a few spins before plunging into the Valley through an aerial ropeway. Though the case is yet to be investigated, it seems the fatal accident took place owing to some technical failure.

Speaker addresses Cw meet: Speaker Gulab Singh Thakur who is currently on a week-long foreign tour, addressed Common Wealth Conference at Wellington (New Zealand) yesterday stressing need for achieving all around economic development on the global scale.

Speaking on the subject of ``Globalisation - its impact on Commonwealth governments and Parliaments,'' Thakur said free flow of trade, commerce and industries was very important for the global development and nations must evolve an integrated approach in the economic spheres. He stressed the need to minimise the unwanted pressure and to get maximum advantage from the process of globalisation. He observed that countries were forming economic groupings even as existing outfits were getting active. These groupings act in mutual concert on the basis of shared interests and common sentiments.

Thakur also met Sir Michael Hardie Boys, Governor General of New Zealand and discussed with him mutual interest of points. He presented him a Himachali traditional cap.

The Governor General took keen interest when Thakur explained to him in detail about the developmental and cultural activities in Himachal Pradesh. He also invited Hardie Boys to visit Himachal Pradesh.