CDS General Bipin Rawat, wife, among 13 dead in chopper crash: IAF

CDS General Bipin Rawat. File Pic/ PTI

Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other people on board died after an an Indian Air force helicopter crashed in Tamil Nadu's Coonoor on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed. The other victims, all from the armed forces, were identified as Brigadier LS Lidder, Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Wing Commander PS Chauhan, Squadron Leader K Singh, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender Kumar, Lance Naik Vivek, Lance Naik B S Teja, Havaldar Satpal, JWO Das and JWO Pradeep, according to official sources.

The Mi-17V5 helicopter carrying Gen. Rawat, the 63-year-old tri-services chief who would have completed two years at the end of this month in the new post after serving as the Army chief, crashed killing 13 of the 14 people on board including his wife and 11 other armed forces personnel, the officials said. The lone survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, Directing Staff at DSSC, is currently under treatment at a military hospital in nearby Wellington, the IAF said.

News agency ANI, citing sources, also posted on Twitter that Wing Commander Prithvi Singh Chauhan was the pilot of the Mi-17V5. "He is the Commanding Officer of the 109 Helicopter Unit," added the tweet.

The helicopter carrying Rawat and others had left Sulur IAF station in nearby Coimbatore around 11.48 am and was supposed to land at DSSC in Wellington at Udhagamandalam about 45 minutes later, official sources said, adding the mishap occurred at 12.22 pm. The CDS had earlier reached the IAF station from Delhi by an Embraer aircraft at 11.34 am.

Locals at the site where the chopper crashed. Pic/ Pallav Paliwal

LIVE UPDATES:

• The Centre is likely to issue a statement in Parliament on Thursday on the crash, as per The Tribune.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reaches the Delhi residence of CDS Bipin Rawat.

• IAF Chief Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudari is going to crash site.
• Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to go to Coimbatore today evening and then move to Nilgiris, chopper crash.
• Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is going to address the Parliament on the accident shortly.

• Maharashtra Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray also tweeted wishing for the safety of CDS General Rawat and his colleagues.

• Congress leader Rahul Gandhi expressed his concern over the accident and tweeted, "Hoping for the safety of CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and others onboard the chopper."

• As per a PTI report, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee ended an administrative review meeting midway on Monday as soon as she came to know about the incident. "We have received sad news. I am shocked. I have no words to express my grief. I am ending this meeting," she said and left the venue of the meeting.
• Gujarat MLA Jignesh Mevani also wished for CDS Bipin Rawat's safety.
• Bodies recovered from the site of the crash (between Coimbatore and Sulur where a military chopper crashed) have been taken to Military Hospital, Wellington in Tamil Nadu.

In this file photo taken on January 15, 2018 the then Indian army chief Bipin Rawat inspects the Army Day parade in New Delhi. Pic/ PTI

• The local military officers have reached the location and were told that locals have taken two bodies with 80 per cent burns to a local hospital. Few bodies can be seen downhill in the area of the accident. Efforts are on to retrieve the bodies and check identities, reported news agency ANI.

• The official Twitter handle of IAF stated that "an Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident."

• Troops of 204 CoBRA and police conducted Search and Cordon Operation (SCO) and apprehended a militia member identified as Venjam Mohan. He was handed over to the police, said CRPF.

• 14 people were on-board the military chopper that crashed between Coimbatore and 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

(With agency inputs)