Indian Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat has been declared dead after his helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu, in southern India. Hours after the crash, the Indian Air Force (IAF) has confirmed his demise in a Twitter thread.
The military helicopter faced some technical problem on Wednesday and crashed in a mountainous area in Tamil Nadu state of India. According to the Indian media reports, General Rawat was onboard on an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter with a total of 14 people, including crew members and his wife.
The helicopter took off from the Indian Air Force base at Solur near Coimbatore and was en route to Defence Staff College in Wellington, where Rawat was to give a lecture at 2.45 pm.
The Indian Air Force says that the helicopter which crashed was a Russian-made and Mi-17V5 model. This twin-engine helicopter is said to be one of the most advanced transport helicopters in the world.
Mi-17V5 helicopter is designed to fly in maritime weather and desert conditions and is used not only for troops but also for carrying weapons, fire support, patrols and search and rescue operations. The Indian Air Force uses it as a VIP helicopter and it has been used in the movement of high profile personalities in the country.
After the crash, TV visuals showing the chopper in flames have been circulating the electronic and social media. Locals were first to reach the site of crash and inform the Indian authorities.
The Indian Air Force says an investigation into the crash has been ordered. Moreover, Indian Defense Minister, Rajnath Singh, will give more details about the incident in Parliament on Thursday. Although news of his death was held for hours, General Rawat’s family had already been summoned in New Delhi.
Ironically, this isn’t the first time that Bipin Rawat met a helicopter crash. In 2015, when he was a Lieutenant General, he managed to survive a helicopter crash in Nagaland.
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