An Indian Army helicopter has crashed in Tamil Nadu which was carrying Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife, and his staff.
“An IAF Mi-17 V5 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 Indian Air Force posted on its official Twitter handle.
The images of the crash site show the wreckage of the helicopter that crashed in the Nilgiris. As per news channels, CDS and his family has been immediately rushed to the hospital and further updates on his condition are yet to come.
So far, 13 of 14 personnel in the helicopter have been confirmed to be dead and the identity of all those bodies will be done through DNA testing. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Army Chief General MM Naravane paid visit to CDS General Rawat’s home in New Delhi.
The Mi-17 V5 was moving from Sulur in Coimbatore to Defence Services Staff College in Wellington where General Rawat was going for a lecture. The Mi-17 V5 is a Russian-origin military transport helicopter designed to carry soldiers, cargo, and equipment.
