CDS General Bipin Rawat dies in helicopter crash

Ground Report | New Delhi: General Bipin Rawat dies; In an unfortunate incident, Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat died when a helicopter crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.

Chief of Defense Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife and other officers were in the helicopter that crashed between Coimbatore and Sulur in Tamil Nadu (TN).

General Rawat's wife, travelling with him, was also killed.

Around noon today, an IAF Mi 17 V5 helicopter with a crew of 4 members carrying the CDS and 9 other passengers met with a tragic accident near Coonoor, TN.

— Indian Air Force (@IAF_MCC) December 8, 2021

"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," the Indian Air Force (IAF) tweeted

IAF in a statement said, "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."

An eyewitness said, ‘After the helicopter fell, I called the people living nearby and tried to help the injured people. After this the fire department and other emergency services were informed. 

Several videos have emerged after the incident in which the helicopter can be seen engulfed in flames. Local people have been seen extinguishing the fire. It is being told that the accident site is at a distance of four to five kilometers from the main road. Locals tried to douse the fire in the helicopter by filling buckets of water before relief workers arrived. (General Bipin Rawat dies)

An army officer who has worked in this area said that the place where the accident took place is a hilly area. The weather here gets bad day by day. Visibility is reduced due to bad weather. 

The former army officer said that the Mi-17 is considered a very advanced helicopter. There is very less chance of technical fault in it. Still, the real cause of the accident will be known only after investigation. 

You can connect with Ground Report on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Whatsapp. For suggestions and writeups mail us at GReport2018