Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and his wife were among 13 killed in a helicopter crash in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, the Air Force said. Sole survivor, Group Captain Varun Singh, is being treated for 90 per cent burn injuries.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh condoled the death of the top defence official and said, “Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu”.General Bipin Rawat’s Defence Assistant, security commandos and Indian Air Force personnel were also among the 14 on board in a Mi-17 V5 chopper that “met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu,” the air force said. A meeting of the Cabinet Committee for Security is likely at PM’s house in some time.
