Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is set to address both Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha on the chopper crash which killed 13 people including, Chief Of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat. Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary and the Air Force Chief are at the sight of incident.
Soon after taking off from the Air Force base Sulue at 11:45 am, Coimbatore, the helicopter crashed. It was going to Wellington in Nilgiri Hills where General Bipin Rawat had to address a gathering at the Defence Services Staff College.
The helicopter – Mi-17 V5 was just 10 km away from the road where it was to land when it crashed. The incident happened just 10 minutes before landing. An Inquiry has been ordered into the incident by the Air Force.
The lone Survivor of the tragic incident is Air Force Group Captain Varun Singh, who is being treated for his severe burns. Captain Singh had gone to Sulur from Wellington to Pick General Bipin Rawat.
A video that went viral of the crash site showed wreckage scattered all around the sits and rescue teams were struggling in finding the bodies due to heavy smoke and fire.
Just couple of hours after the incident Prime Minister Narendra Modi, briefed by the Defence Minister, called a Cabinet Committee meeting on Security at his residence.
People across country and abroad are pouring their tributes to the General Bipin Rawat, with Prime Minister calling him an “outstanding soldier” and a “true patriot”. While Defence Minister called his demise as “irreparable loss” for the country and forces.
With General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat also died in the crash. For the funeral which will take place tomorrow, their bodies will arrive in Delhi by today evening by a military plane.together
General Bipin Rawat, 63, became India’s first Chief of Defence Staff in January 2020. The post was created to bind Indian Army, Air Force and Navy together.
