Picture : Twitter / ANI
In a tragic IAF helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu’s Coonoor has crashed with 14 people on board . Those on board included CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, Brig LS Lidder, Lt Col Harjinder Singh, NK Gursewak Singh, NK Jitendra Kr, L/Naik Vivek Kumar, L/Naik B Sai Teja and Hav Satpal.
According to ANI report, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh is monitoring the situation following crash of IAF chopper carrying CDS Bipin Rawat & others. A meeting of senior Defence Ministry officials is underway. Singh has briefed Prime Minister Narendra Modi about the crash
Confirming the incident, the Indian Air Force tweeted: “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 Mi-17V5 helicopter was airborne from Sulur for Wellington where Rawat was scheduled to deliver a lecture.
According to CNN_ IBN report, The accident site was a scene of despair with trees being reduced to broken pieces under the impact of the crash, flames from the chopper engulfing the wooden logs resulting in billowing smoke and personnel scurrying to douse the fire, including using buckets and water hose.
