General Rawat, his wife and 11 others were killed after their helicopter crashed earlier today
Hours after his helicopter crashed in Tamil Nadu, General Bipin Rawat's death was announced by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, who tweeted about the "exceptional courage and diligence" of India's top military officer.
Deeply anguished by the sudden demise of Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 other Armed Forces personnel in an extremely unfortunate helicopter accident today in Tamil Nadu.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 8, 2021
His untimely death is an irreparable loss to our Armed Forces and the country.
Earlier this evening, the Defence Minister visited General Rawat's home in Delhi and briefed the Prime Minister, who is meeting this evening with top ministers who are members of the Cabinet Committee on Security.
General Rawat had served the country with exceptional courage and diligence. As the first Chief of Defence Staff he had prepared plans for jointness of our Armed Forces.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 8, 2021
General Rawat, his wife and 11 other people were killed after the air force helicopter they were travelling in crashed in around noon near the town of Coonoor.
General Rawat, 63, was appointed as India's first Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government in late 2019.
My heart goes out to the families of those who lost their loved ones in this accident. Praying for the speedy recovery of Gp Capt Varun Singh, who is currently under treatment at the Military Hospital, Wellington.
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) December 8, 2021
The dead include four crew members of the Mi-17V5 helicopter, the Air Force said in a tweet. The lone survivor is Group Captain Varun Singh, currently under treatment at the Military Hospital in Wellington.
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