CDS Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 Others Killed in Tamil Nadu Helicopter Crash. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh expressed his shock at the tragic death of CDS General Rawat. He stated, “His premature death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country.”

General Bipin Rawat, the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), died in a helicopter accident near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday evening, the Indian Air Force (IAF) reported. He was one of 14 persons on board, which included his wife and other staff members. CDS Rawat, Madhulika Rawat, and 11 others were among the thirteen individuals killed in the disaster.

“It has now been confirmed that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other passengers on board died in the sad tragedy,” the IAF tweeted at 6:03 p.m.

“An IAF Mi 17 V5 chopper with a crew of four personnel carrying the CDS and nine other passengers met with an unfortunate mishap in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu about midday today,” the IAF said. Group Captain Varun Singh, who directs employees at the Defence Services Staff College, is the only survivor (DSSC). According to the IAF, he is being treated for his injuries at the Military Hospital in Wellington.

General Rawat was India’s first CDS, assuming office on January 1, 2020. Previously, he was the Chief of Army Staff between December 31, 2016 and December 31, 2019.

The IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter was on its way from Sulur in Coimbatore to DSSC in Wellington where General Rawat, along with Chief of Army Staff M.M. Naravane, was slated to participate in an event. The chopper crashed in the forest area reportedly due to poor visibility following heavy fog.

Defence minister Rajnath Singh addresses parliament on Thursday, December 9.

At 6:30 p.m., Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the top four ministers in his cabinet — defence, home, finance, and external affairs – assembled the Cabinet Committee on Security. According to the news agency PTI, the CCS was briefed about the incident.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were among those who attended the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P.K. Misra, and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, who updated the CCS members on the terrible occurrence.

According to the sources, the top cabinet brass offered condolences on General Rawat’s demise.

Separately, General M.M. Naravane, the Chief of Army Staff, informed the defence minister of the incident and related matters. General Rawat’s house was also visited by the defence minister, who interacted with his daughter.

The Nilgiris district government had reported that 13 of the 14 victims had died an hour before the formal confirmation. The rescue mission was completed, and the administration reported that the lone survivor — a male member who has not been recognised – is being treated.

CDS Rawat was on board the helicopter, the Indian Air Force stated in a tweet at 1:53 p.m. on Wednesday, and an inquiry has been initiated to determine the cause of the tragedy. However, until after 6 p.m., there was no official word on injuries or a death toll from the collision.

Even as rescue personnel carried victims in stretchers to be transferred through waiting ambulances, the crushed and burned remains of the ill-fated IAF helicopter were littered about the scene.

Civilians were not allowed near the disaster scene. Locals informed a Tamil TV station that they heard a huge bang, which they assumed was the accident, and then saw the chopper on fire, with some passengers suffering major burn injuries. When local military officials arrived at the scene, they were told that two bodies had been transferred to a nearby hospital with 80 percent burns, according to news agency ANI, citing anonymous sources.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, Home Minister Amit Shah, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar were among those who attended the meeting.

The meeting was also attended by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, Principal Secretary to Prime Minister P.K. Misra, and Cabinet Secretary Rajiv Gauba, who updated the CCS members on the terrible occurrence.

According to the sources, the top cabinet brass offered condolences on General Rawat’s demise.

Separately, General M.M. Naravane, the Chief of Army Staff, informed the defence minister of the incident and related matters. General Rawat’s house was also visited by the defence minister, who interacted with his daughter.

The Nilgiris district government had reported that 13 of the 14 victims had died an hour before the formal confirmation. The rescue mission was completed, and the administration reported that the lone survivor — a male member who has not been recognised – is being treated.

CDS Rawat was on board the helicopter, the Indian Air Force stated in a tweet at 1:53 p.m. on Wednesday, and an inquiry has been initiated to determine the cause of the tragedy. However, until after 6 p.m., there was no official word on injuries or a death toll from the collision.

Even as rescue personnel carried victims in stretchers to be transferred through waiting ambulances, the crushed and burned remains of the ill-fated IAF helicopter were littered about the scene.

Civilians were not allowed near the disaster scene. Locals informed a Tamil TV station that they heard a huge bang, which they assumed was the accident, and then saw the chopper on fire, with some of the passengers suffering major burn injuries. When local military officials arrived at the scene, they were told that two bodies had been transferred to a nearby hospital with 80 percent burns, according to news agency ANI, citing anonymous sources.

CDS Bipin Rawat and his wife were honored with a special prayer service led by Bhutan’s King and his father, The Fourth King, in Thimphu this morning. Ruchira Kamboj, India’s envoy to Bhutan, was also present.