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CDS Bipin Rawat en route to give lecture when his chopper crashed in Nilgiris

Written by : TNM Staff

The Chief of Defense Staff General Bipin Rawat was set to attend a cadet interaction programme at the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington Cantonment, on Wednesday, December 8 when the Mi series helicopter that he and 13 others were travelling in crashed in Katteri Park in the Nanjappanchathiram area around 12.20 pm. Residents of a village near the accident site in Coonoor in Tamil Nadu’s Nilgiris district heard a loud noise and rushed to the spot, which was about 100 metres away.

Visuals of the accident showed the wreckage in flames while charred pieces of the helicopter were scattered around the site. Many local residents rushed to the accident site immediately and alerted fire and rescue authorities.

The accident occurred about 12.20 pm after the helicopter hit the ridge line and crashed into trees in the area. The site of the accident was on a Ghat road between Mettupalayam and Coonoor.

There were 14 people on board (nine passengers and five crew members), including Bipin Rawat’s wife Madhulika. As of 2.30 pm, five have been confirmed dead and two are said to have suffered severe injuries. The condition of the remaining passengers is not yet known. The passengers with injuries were rushed to the Military Hospital, Wellington.

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