An Indian Air Force helicopter with Defence Chief General Bipin Rawat on board crashed in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor on Wednesday. Eleven people have been confirmed dead in the incident. There is no immediate information on the condition of General Rawat.
Two people with severe burn injuries were rescued and taken to the hospital at Wellington cantonment in Nilgiris district for treatment. There were a total of fourteen people on board.
Rescue operations are still underway.
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.
The Chief of Defence Staff was on his way to Defence Staff College in Wellington from the Indian Air Force base in Sulur near Coimbatore. 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. Several teams, including local military officers, reached the site for search and rescue operations.
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu CM MK Stalin has instructed the local administration to provide the best medical care possible to those injured in the incident. The affected will be treated at the Coonoor government hospital and doctors are being sent from Coimbatore to provide expert treatment.
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. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will brief Parliament on the crash shortly.
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