An Indian Air Force helicopter with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat on board crashed in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor on Wednesday. Two people have been confirmed dead in the incident, according to India Today. While four people are dead and two have survived, according to NDTV. However, Details are not known so far.
The crash took place in the Nilgiris, shortly after the Mi-series chopper took off from the army base in Sulur.
Three people have been rescued so far while a search is on for the others. There were fourteen people on board, according to India Today. General Rawat’s staff and family members were also among the nine people on board, as per NDTV report.
The three who have been rescued suffered serious injuries and 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, ANI news agency reported. CDS Bipin Rawat was en route to Wellington in Coonoor from the Indian Air Force base in Sulur near Coimbatore, as per sources. He left Delhi for 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. Several teams are at the site carrying out search and rescue operations. 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 while more bodies were seen downhill, ANI news agency reported.
The chopper was heading to the Wellington defence establishment.
Images on local TV channels showed the wreckage in the hills and rescuers at work, struggling through thick smoke and fire.
Inquiry initiated
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.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and defence minister Rajnath Singh have been briefed on the incident.
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