A relative and panchayat leader of Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu's assembly constituency has identified his body, according to union minister for development of north eastern region B K Handique.

He told reporters that the panchayat leader Thupten has identified the body of 56-year-old Dorjee while the other four bodies have been charred beyond recognition.

The minister, however, said that only after the divisional commissioner takes charge of the body and the formalities are completed, they could officially confirm news about Dorjee.

Asked about the successor to Dorjee, he said, "Everything will be taken care of."

The single engine four-seater Pawan Hans helicopter with Dorjee and four others on board went missing soon after taking off from Tawang on Saturday.

Besides Khandu, others on board were pilots Captain J S Babbar, Captain T S Mamik, Khandu's security officer Yeshi Choddak and Yeshi Lhamu, sister of Tawang MLA Tsewang Dhondup.

Previous report:

Dorjee Khandu believed dead, wreckage of chopper located: govt sources

Three bodies were sighted on Wednesday along with wreckage of an aircraft at a place on the path the helicopter carrying Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Dorjee Khandu and four others had taken and the worst is feared.

Breaking information that is "not encouraging and not good news", home minister P Chidambaram said at a place between Kyela and Lobothang a party sent by circle officer sighted what appears to be an aircraft.

"They have sighted three bodies. This sighting has been made from a height. They have not been able to go down to the place where the aircraft is crashed. The message has been given to the nearest Army post which is sending a team," he told reporters.

"The search party will take about half-an-hour to one hour to reach the suspected crash site," he said.