Coimbatore: The bodies of India's first Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others, who were killed in an IAF chopper crash at Coonoor yesterday, was flown to New Delhi from Sulur air base near here on Thursday.
The bodies, which were brought in 13 ambulances from the Madras Regimental Centre (MRC) Wellington near Coonoor to Sulur air base, were flown by a special IAF aircraft to the National capital where the last rites will be performed tomorrow with full military honours.
The Coimbatore District Collector, Ministers and senior officials paid homage to the victims at the air base.
The special aircraft left for New Delhi at 1535 hrs.
Earlier, Air Chief Marshal V R Chaudhari, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin, Ministers and others paid their last respects to the mortal remains of Gen Rawat and 12 others at the MRC.
After placing a wreath on the mortal remains of Gen Rawat, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to each of the bodies of the army officers, who have perished in the crash.
Air Chief Marshal Chaudhary, members of the three defence services and Telangana Governor Ms Tamilisai Soundararajan also paid their last respects to the chopper crash victims.
Earlier, the bodies of the Gen Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 others, draped in National flag, were brought in a flower bedecked military vehicle and lined up at the MRC premises for the dignitaries to pay their last respects.
Later, the bodies were taken in ambulances from MRC to the Sulur air base by road amid tight security. It took about two hours to cover the 80 km distance.
Tens and hundreds of people, carrying National Flags lined up on both sides of the road all along the route and paid their respects by showering flower petals and shouting slogans hailing their supreme sacrifice.
Shouts of 'Bharat Mata ke Jai' by a large number of people, who have assembled in front of the Sulur air base, rent the air, as the ambulances carrying the bodies entered the base.
Soon after last of the ambulances entered the premises, the main gates of the air base was closed by security officials.
Meanwhile, two minor mishaps--one involving a police van, part of the convoy escorting the bodies, and the other involving an ambulance carrying one of the bodies of the victims--were reported during the route from MRC to Sulur air base.
Seven police personnel suffered minor injuries, when the axle of the police van broke near a turn on the Parliyar Ghat road.
Doctors, who were travelling in an ambulance as part of the convoy, immediately offered them first aid and shifted to the injured cops to the Mettupalayam Government hospital.
A few minutes later, one of the ambulances carrying the body of the victim, met with a minor mishap about 45 km before Sulur air base. Another ambulance was summoned immediately and the locals helped in shifting the body to it.
After a minor delay, the ambulance left for Sulur air base.
Earlier, the Air Chief Marshal, accompanied by senior officials, visited the crash site today and held inquiries with the locals at Katteri who had witnessed the crash.
The black box or the Cockpit Voice, Flight Data Recorder of the ill-fated Chopper was recovered from the crash site.
Official sources said the black box were found in the dense forest area of Nachapurachathiram near the crash site at Katteri.
An analysis of the Flight Data Recorder will give more insight into the crash which occurred soon after the chopper took off from Sulur air base to Defence Services Staff College (DSSC), Wellington where Gen Bipin Rawat was slated to deliver a talk to the young officers of his alma mater.
The IAF has ordered a high level inquiry into the crash which took place shortly after it took off from Sulur air base en route to Wellington and the entire crash site was cordoned off by the military forces.
The Tamil Nadu police also launched field level investigations with locals and eyewitnesses. (UNI)
