- An Air Force chopper carrying Defense Chief Bipin Rawat and 13 other individuals crashed shortly after departure in Tamil Nadu today, killing them all. General Rawat’s wife, his defense assistant, security commanders, and air force men were on board when the military chopper crashed.
A Russian-made Mi-17 V5 helicopter took off from Solomon Air Force Base in Wellington for Wellington in the Nilgiri Hills when the tragedy occurred. The helicopter has already touched down and will do it again in ten minutes. According to AFP, the helicopter crashed approximately 10 kilometers from the nearest road, and rescue teams had to get to the location.
Several past army commanders expressed their condolences. The twin-engine Mi-17 helicopter was considered as a very stable aircraft for VVIP flights.
Around 12.20 p.m. that afternoon, the incident report was made public.
In January 2019, General Rawat, 63, was designated India’s first chief defense officer. The purpose of this duty was to merge the three services of the Army, Navy, and Air Force. Rawat was born into a military family and spent several generations serving in the Indian armed services.
The general joined the army as a lieutenant in 1978 and, after four decades of service, led the armed forces in Indian-controlled Kashmir along the border with China’s practical control line.
He is recognized for putting an end to rioting on India’s northeast border and managing operations in Myanmar. Rawat was the commander of the 1.3 million-strong army from 2017 to 2019 before being named chief of defence services, which observers believe will strengthen the army, navy, and air force’s cohesion.
General Rawat, a veteran army commander, has been named head of the newly constituted Military Department. The films show the wreckage strewn across a hill as rescuers search through dense smoke and fire for the corpses. The charred victims were discovered under metal trees and fallen trees by local people and police.
Important Points
- General Rawat and his wife Madolika Rawat died, the Indian Air Force stated in a tweet at 6:03 a.m.
- The plane was carrying a Mi-17V5 helicopter, which crashed at 12.20 p.m. in the Tamil Nadus Nilgiri hills, killing 14 persons, including five crew members and nine passengers.
- The Air Force expressed its sorrow over the deaths of General Bipin Rawat, Madonna Rawat, and eleven other crew members in a sad tragedy.
- According to the Nilgiri neighborhood collector, 13 of the plane’s 14 passengers died.
- The leader of the Varun Singh group, one of the few male survivors, is being treated for critical injuries.
- “Captain Varun Singh, director-general of the DSSC, stated the wounded were being treated at Wellington Military Hospital,” the Air Force said.
Wrapping Up
A sad incident took place today in which defense chief Bipin Rawat lost his life along with his wife and fellow companions. More news will be updated soon when officials will release details about the incidence.
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