NE NEWS SERVICE
CHENNAI, NEW DELHI, DEC 8
An Indian Air Force helicopter with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on board crashed in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor on Wednesday. Five people have been confirmed dead in the incident. There is no immediate information on the condition of General Rawat.
https://twitter.com/wolfaksh/status/1468502593122959360?s=20
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin is rushing to Coimbatore to visit the victims and expedite the rescue operations.
Two people with severe burns have been rescued so far while a search is on for the others. There were fourteen people on board, according to sources.
Praying for the safety & well being of CDS Gen. Bipin Rawat, his family and all those officials who were onboard the tragic IAF helicopter.
मा कश्चिद्दुःखभाग्भवेत् । pic.twitter.com/wEdwETB1eh
— Dr. Pankaj Shukla ( Modi Ka Parivar ) (@iPankajShukla) December 8, 2021
The three injured have been taken to the hospital at Wellington cantonment in Nilgiris district.
CDS Bipin Rawat, his wife, defence assistant, security commandos and an IAF pilot were on board the Mi-series chopper when it crashed between Coimbatore and Sulur in Tamil Nadu. CDS Bipin Rawat was on his way to Defence Staff College in Wellington from the Indian Air Force base in Sulur near Coimbatore, as per sources. Along with eight others, he boarded a flight from Delhi to Sulur earlier on Wednesday.
Visuals from the site of the Indian Air Force helicopter crash showed massive flames and locals helping with the immediate rescue operations. Bodies were seen downhill, ANI news agency reported. Several teams, including local military officers, reached the site for search and rescue operations.
The Indian Air Force confirmed the incident on Twitter and said an inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.
“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,” the IAF tweeted.
An Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have been briefed on the incident. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will brief Parliament on the crash shortly.
The Chief of Defence Staff was on his way to the Defence Staff College in Wellington.
Reacting to the news, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said they were praying for the wellbeing of those onboard. “V v sad to hear this. I pray for everyone’s safety,” Kejriwal said. “Received the news of an Army helicopter crash carrying CDS General Shri Bipin Rawat Ji and other senior Army officials in Tamilnadu. I am praying for their well-being and good health,” Chouhan tweeted. Former Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh said: “Extremely sad to see the images of the chopper crash with CDS Bipin Rawat and his wife on board. Praying for the safety of all.”
