New Delhi:
Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat and 11 other people on board an Mi-17V5 helicopter died in a crash near Coonoor in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) confirmed.
“Gen Bipin Rawat, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) was on a visit to Defence Services Staff College, Wellington (Nilgiri Hills) to address the faculty and student officers of the Staff Course today,” IAF tweeted.
“With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs Madhulika Rawat and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident,” it added.
The Indian Air Force further informed that Group Captain Varun Singh SC, Directing Staff at DSSC is the only survivor in the unfortunate incident. He is injured and is currently undergoing treatment at Military Hospital, Wellington.
“Gp Capt Varun Singh SC, Directing Staff at DSSC with injuries is currently under treatment at Military Hospital, Wellington,” IAF tweeted.
Group Captain Varun Singh was awarded Shaurya Chakra on this year’s Independence Day for saving his LCA Tejas fighter aircraft during an aerial emergency in 2020.
As per an earlier statement by the Ministry of Defence, on October 12, 2020, Wing Commander Varun Singh was flying a system check sortie in LCA, away from the parent base, after major rectification of the Flight Control System (FCS) and pressurisation system (life support environment control system). During the sortie, the cockpit pressurisation failed at high altitude. He correctly identified the failure and initiated a descent to a lower altitude for landing.
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