IAF helicopter with CDS Gen Bipin Rawat crashes near Conoor in Tamil Nadu

New Delhi, December 8, 2021

An Indian Air Force (IAF) Mi-17V% helicopter, which was carrying Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, crashed near Conoor in the Nilgiri hills in Tamil Nadu today, official sources said.

"An IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter, with CDS Gen Bipin Rawat on board, met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu," the Indian Air Force said on Twitter.

"An Inquiry has been ordered to ascertain the cause of the accident," the IAF added.

Television pictures from the scene of the crash showed the burning wreckage of the helicopter strewn over a large area.

Reports reaching here indicated that some injured passengers had been rushed to a nearby hospital.

Army and Air Force personnel, police and local administration officials rushed to the scene and were seen carrying out search and rescue efforts were being carried out in which local persons had also joined.

IANS adds:

The number of casualties is still unknown and local police has ascertained that three persons were rescued and a search is on for others.

Along with General Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, Brigadier L. S. Lidder, Lieutenant Colonel Harjinder Singh, Naik Gursewak Singh, Naik Jitender Kumar, Naik Vivek Kumar, Naik B. Sai Teja, Havaldar Satpal and pilots were travelling in the chopper.

The rescued suffered serious injuries and have been taken to Wellington cantonment.

NNN