Defense Minister to brief about Chopper Crash in Parliament

Gen. Bipin Rawat with 12 others died in a chopper crash, PM hold a Cabinet Meeting

New Delhi: It is a heart-wrenching loss for the country as it has lost the highest level Army officer, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat including his wife and 11 others due to a chopper crash yesterday. The Union Defense Minister, Mr Rajnath Singh, will make a statement in both houses of Parliament on the chopper crash today. According to the officials, Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhary, Air Force Chief, is at the crash site.

The saddened incident took place within 30 mins when the Air Chief and 12 others took off from the Air Force base in Sulur, at 11.45 am, Coimbatore. The chopper was on its way to Wellington in Nilgiri Hills, where General Rawat was to address a gathering at the Defense Services Staff College.

The Mi-17 V5 helicopter was making its descent and would have landed in 10 more minutes when it came down, barely 10 km from a road. The Air Force has now ordered an Inquiry into what happened.

The only survivor of the mishap is Air Force Group, Captain Varun Singh. Captain's treatment is going on in a hospital.

The shocking visuals from the crash site showed devasts scattered on a hillside and rescuers struggling through smoke and fire to locate bodies. Bodies were pulled out from under mangled metal and fallen trees.

After the incident, Prime Minister Modi mourned and briefed by the Defense Minister, called a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security at his residence.

Tributes have poured in for the General from across the country and abroad. The Prime Minister described him as an "outstanding soldier" and a "true patriot". The Defense Minister called it an "irreparable loss" to the country and the forces.

The funeral of General Rawat and his wife will take place tomorrow. Their bodies are expected to reach Delhi by a military plane today evening.