India’s Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others confirmed dead following a helicopter crash today. The helicopter by Indian Air Force crashed 10 KM prior to landing near Coonoor in Tamilandu at 12 PM IST.
“With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that General Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident,” the Indian Force said in a tweet.
The crash took place shortly after the Russian-made Mi-17 V5 chopper took off from the Air Force base in Sulur, Coimbatore, for Wellington in the Nilgiri Hills. According to the reports, the sole survivor of the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh is taken to the army hospital in Wellington with serious injuries.
It believed that poor weather conditions caused the accident. Air Force has announced investigating into the matter. The journey was to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course in Defence Services Staff College in Wellington.
The helicopter was on blaze after the accident and it made the rescue operations difficult.
General Rawat, 63, took charge as India’s first Chief of Defence Staff in 1st January 2020. The position was set up with the aim of integrating the three services – the Army, the Navy and the Air Force.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Ram Nath Kovind, Defense Minister Raj Nath Singh and others expressed grief in the death of Gen. Rawat and others.