General Bipin Rawat, India’s Chief of Defence Staff, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others have been killed in the chopper crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
General Rawat was 63. The last rites of General Rawat will be performed in New Delhi. Indian Air Force confirmed the news on Twitter and said, “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.”They also wrote, “Gp Capt Varun Singh SC, Directing Staff at DSSC with injuries is currently under treatment at Military Hospital, Wellington.” IAF informed that Gen 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.
TV visuals showed the badly damaged chopper in flames, possibly under the impact of the crash. Apparently, a major tragedy was averted as the helicopter fell at some distance away from a human habitation, averting possible mass casualties. The accident site was a scene of despair with trees being reduced to broken pieces under the impact of the crash, flames from the chopper engulfing the wooden logs resulting in billowing smoke and personnel scurrying to douse the fire, including using buckets and water hose. What seemed to be some charred bodies were also seen lying around. The mangled and burnt remains of the ill-fated IAF chopper were strewn along the site, even as rescue services personnel were seen carrying bodies in stretchers to be transported through waiting ambulances.
The helicopter, carrying a few senior officials, was on its way from Sulur in Coimbatore to DSC in Wellington where Rawat, along with Chief of Army Staff MM Naravane, was slated to participate in an event later, the sources added.
President Ram Nath Kovind tweeted, “I am shocked and anguished over the untimely demise of Gen. Bipin Rawat and his wife, Madhulika ji. The nation has lost one of its bravest sons. His four decades of selfless service to the motherland was marked by exceptional gallantry and heroism. My condolences to his family.”
PM Narendra Modi tweeted, “Gen Bipin Rawat was an outstanding soldier. A true patriot, he greatly contributed to modernising our armed forces and security apparatus. His insights and perspectives on strategic matters were exceptional. His passing away has saddened me deeply. Om Shanti.”“As India’s first CDS, Gen Rawat worked on diverse aspects relating to our armed forces including defence reforms. He brought with him a rich experience of serving in the Army. India will never forget his exceptional service,” he added.“Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu. His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country,” tweeted Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Home Minister Amit Shah said, “A very sad day for the nation as we have lost our CDS, General Bipin Rawat Ji in a very tragic accident. He was one of the bravest soldiers, who has served the motherland with utmost devotion. His exemplary contributions & commitment cannot be put into words. I am deeply pained. I also express my deepest condolences on the sad demise of Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other Armed Forces personnel. My thoughts are with the bereaved families. May God give them the strength to bear this tragic loss. Praying for the speedy recovery of Gp Capt Varun Singh.”
Timeline:
11.35 am: The special aircraft that took off from Delhi lands at the Sulur IAF Station in Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore.
11.45 am: Fourteen people, including CDS Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife Madhulika Rawat board an Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17V5 chopper. The helicopter takes off for Defence Staff College in Wellington where Gen Rawat was slated to attend an event.
12.20 pm: First reports emerge of an IAF chopper crashing in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area near Coonoor.
12.25 pm: Locals rush to the crash site and alert district police and authorities. A search and rescue operation is launched.
1.53 pm: IAF, in a tweet, confirms that the IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter that crashed near Coonoor had CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on board. An inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident, the IAF adds.
6.03 pm: In a thread on Twitter, the IAF confirms that 13 of the 14 passengers on board the chopper, including CDS Gen Bipin Rawat and his wife, have died.
- Indian Air Force’s Group Captain Varun Singh, the only survivor of Tuesday’s helicopter crash, which killed the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other persons, is currently under is medical treatment and fighting for survival. He is admitted to the Military Hospital in Wellington. Injured in the military chopper crash, Group Captain Varun Singh was awarded the Shaurya Chakra on Independence Day this year for saving his LCA Tejas fighter aircraft during an aerial emergency in 2020.
