Breaking | 4 Dead After Helicopter Carrying CDS Bipin Rawat Crashes In Tamil Nadu

An army helicopter carrying senior defence officials has crashed in the Nilgiri district of Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. The helicopter was flying from Sulur Airbase to Wellington. 14 personnel including senior officials, were on board.

As per reports, Chief of Defence Staff Bipin Rawat was also on board. According to top officials in Tamil Nadu, four have been found dead.

Further confirmation is awaited.

A team of doctors is rushing from Coimbatore to assist the military. The accident occurred happened at Nanjappanchathiram area amid heavy mist and early visuals showed the helicopter in flames.

The Indian Air Force confirmed the presence of Bipin Rawat on board the aircraft. However, no immediate information on the condition of Gen Rawat is available.  The army chief was on his way to the Defence Staff College in Wellington.

The IAF said that a Court of Inquiry has been ordered into the accident. The officials were travelling in an Mi-17VH chopper that took off from the Sulur IAF Station in nearby Coimbatore.

Official sources in Delhi said all the injured people on board the helicopter have been evacuated from the spot of the accident.

Meanwhile, official sources in Coimbatore said four bodies have been retrieved and three persons rescued from under the debris of the helicopter which crashed in Katteri-Nanchappanchathram area near Coonoor in the hilly Nilgiris district.

The helicopter, carrying a few senior officials, was on its way from Sulur in Coimbatore to DSC in Wellington where Rawat, along with Chief of Army Staff MM Naravane, was slated to participate in an event later.

The chopper crashed in a forest area, reportedly due to poor visibility following heavy fog, official sources said.

The Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will be briefing Parliament in the accident later.

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