CDS General Bipin Rawat, wife, 11 others died in chopper crash, confirms IAF

New Delhi: Indian Air Force has confirmed that CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons died when IAF helicopter carrying them crashed near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu. There is only one survivor of this tragic accident.

The chopper took off at 11.47 am from Sulur and was heading to Wellington when it crashed at 12.20 am about 5-10 km and five minutes from the landing site.

Gen Rawat was scheduled to address an event at the Defence Services Staff College in Wellington when the crash took place.

The crash site is five km from Coonoor bus stand--a down slide leading to the valley on the left of the bus stand. It is a very thick forested area and accessibility is very very difficult, said eyewitnesses, adding that one of the blades hit a tree following which the chopper crashed and exploded.

One of the eyewitnesses, a resident of Katteri, said he came rushing out after hearing a loud sound. "I ran out and saw the chopper plunging steeply into the valley below, before it hit a tree and crashed,” he said.

“As the fire was too big, we couldn’t approach [the site],” he said. (Inputs from Agencies)