Helicopter Crashes With India’s Military Chief And His Wife On Board (Photos)
The air force said that a helicopter carrying India’s defense commander, General Bipin Rawat, crashed in the southern state of Tamil Nadu on December 8.
The Indian Air Force stated on Twitter that the 63-year-old chief of defence staff was flying in a Russian-made Mi-17V5 helicopter that “met with an accident today in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.”
Touchaheart Nigeria reports that Rawat is India’s first chief of defence staff, a position created by the Indian government in 2019. He is close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A senior army officer told AFP that he and his wife were on board with other officers on their way to the Defence Services Staff College when the plane crashed near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu.
Rawat, 63, was not hurt in the mishap, according to the air force.
Three individuals have been rushed to a hospital, according to India’s official broadcaster Prasar Bharati.
Local locals attempted to douse the aircraft in flames in a deep forested area near the college in Nilgiris district, according to videos broadcast on Indian news channels.
An investigation into the crash is ongoing, according to the Indian Air Force.
