Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others have been reported dead in an IAF helicopter crash on Wednesday near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu.
General Bipin Laxman Singh Rawat was a four-star general of the Indian Army and the first Chief Defence Staff of India. He was appointed as the first CDS of India on December 30, 2019, and assumed office from January 1, 2020, prior to which he served as 57th and the last Chairman of Chiefs of Staff Committee as well as 26th Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army.
The Mi-17VH chopper which took off from Sulur IAF Station near Coimbatore crashed owing to low visibility due to foggy conditions. Official sources in Delhi said all the injured people on board the helicopter have been evacuated from the spot of the accident. The Chief of Defence Staff was on his way to the Defence Staff College in Wellington.
Earlier on Wednesday, visuals showed the chopper in flames, apparently under the impact of the crash. Rescue personnel, along with Army personnel, were seen involved in clearing the area.
Three persons have been rescued from under the debris of the helicopter which crashed in the Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area near Coonoor in the hilly Nilgiris district.
Also read: IAF chopper with CDS Bipin Rawat onboard crashes; 4 killed, 3 injured
