A helicopter of the Indian Air Force (IAF) carrying the Chief of Defense Staff, General Bipin Rawat, and a number of the other senior officials has crashed in Tamil Nadu after developing a technical fault.
Search and rescue teams and helicopters of the Indian Army have reached the spot of the incident to rescue survivors, check the identities of the dead, and retrieve the wreckage of the helicopter.
An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on board, met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.
An Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 8, 2021
According to ANI, a total of 14 people including General Bipin Rawat, his wife, Defense Assistant, security commandos, and IAF pilots were onboard Mi-17V5 helicopter that crashed between Coimbatore and Sulur in Tamil Nadu.
Meanwhile, IAF has also instituted a high-level investigation board to ascertain the cause behind the tragic event.
Indian media outlets have not yet shared the news whether General Bipin Rawat or any other onboard passenger has survived the unfortunate crash or not. Several unidentified dead bodies recovered from the site of the crash have been shifted to Military Hospital, Wellington, Tamil Nadu.
14 people were on-board the military chopper that crashed b/w Coimbatore&Sulur in Tamil Nadu. They included CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, Brig LS Lidder, Lt Col Harjinder Singh, NK Gursewak Singh, NK Jitendra Kr, L/Naik Vivek Kumar, L/Naik B Sai Teja & Hav Satpal
— ANI (@ANI) December 8, 2021
Harcharanjit Singh Panag, a retired Lieutenant General of the Indian Army and a defense and strategic affairs analyst, has confirmed the death of Indian Defense Chief, General Bipin Rawat.
https://twitter.com/rwac48/status/1468511205538996228
According to India Today, 13 out of the 14 onboard people have been confirmed dead by the administration of Military Hospital, Wellington. The process of identifying the dead bodies through DNA testing is now underway.
CDS chopper crash: 13 out of 14 confirmed dead; bodies being identified through DNA testing | #BipinRawat #Ooty #HelicopterCrash pic.twitter.com/reH8qZ0pZg
— IndiaToday (@IndiaToday) December 8, 2021
Official Confirmation
IAF has officially confirmed the death of General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 other officers of the Indian Army and IAF crew. The only survivor of the crash, Group Captain Varun Singh, is under treatment at Military Hospital, Wellington.
In an official statement, IAF said that General Bipin Rawat was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiri Hills), to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course today.
Around noon today, an IAF Mi 17 V5 helicopter with a crew of 4 members carrying the CDS and 9 other passengers met with a tragic accident near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.
With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 8, 2021
Chairman Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee (CJCSC), General Nadeem Raza, and Chief of Army Staff (COAS), General Qamar Javed Bajwa, have expressed condolences on the tragic death of General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 officers of the Indian Army and Air Force in the helicopter crash earlier today.
General Nadeem Raza, CJCSC & General Qamar Javed Bajwa, COAS express condolences on tragic death of #CDS General #BipinRawat, his wife and loss of precious lives in a helicopter crash in India
— DG ISPR (@OfficialDGISPR) December 8, 2021
Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force (PAF), Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, has also expressed condolences on the tragic death of General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and 11 officers of the Indian Army and Air Force in the helicopter crash earlier today.
Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu, NI(M) Chief of the Air Staff Pakistan Air Force; has expressed his condolences on the tragic death of Indian CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his spouse, and 11 other passengers/crew members in the helicopter crash today.
— DGPR (AIR FORCE) (@DGPR_PAF) December 8, 2021
About Bipin Rawat
General Bipin Rawat is the Indian Army’s highest-serving official. He was appointed as the Chief of Defense Staff a day before he was set to retire as the Indian Army Chief on 31 December 2019.
Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, had appointed Bipin Rawat as the Army Chief in December 2015 by superseding the then two most senior officials of the Indian Army.
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