Image Courtesy:indianexpress.com
Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, and 11 others have been confirmed dead after a chopper carrying them crashed in Tamil Nadu earlier today. The Air Force issued the official confirmation on Tuesday evening.
With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 8, 2021
Gp Capt Varun Singh SC, Directing Staff at DSSC with injuries is currently under treatment at Military Hospital, Wellington.
— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 8, 2021
Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiri Hills) to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course today. The chopper carrying Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, crashed at 12.20 P.M in the Nilgiri Hills in Tamil Nadu.
Search and rescue operations ensued, and as SabrangIndia reported earlier today, at first there was news of five deaths and two injured people being taken to hospital as authorities continued to look for others on board the chopper.
The chopper crashed shortly after it took off from an Air Force base in Sulur near Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore, and was heading to Wellington in Udhagamandalam, also known as Ooty, where a Defence Services Staff College is located. The defence establishment reportedly learnt of the incident from villagers in nearby Katteri who informed the district administration.
Condolences have started pouring in for the CDS.
“General Rawat had served the country with exceptional courage and diligence. As the first Chief of Defence Staff he had prepared plans for jointness of our Armed Forces,” said Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, condoling his sudden demise.
Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu.
His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 8, 2021
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