Group Captain Varun Singh, the only survivor of the helicopter crash in which Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and 12 others were killed, is critical and has been airlifted to Bengaluru.
An ambulance took Group Captain Singh from a military hospital in Wellington to the Sulur Air Base, from where he was airlifted to Bengaluru. He will be treated at the Command Hospital in Bengaluru.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh told parliament this morning that Group Captain Singh is on life support and "all efforts are being made to save him".
Group Captain Singh was taken from the crash site to the military hospital in Wellington with severe burn injuries. His father, Colonel KP Singh (retired), had said that he would be shifted to Bengaluru.
"He is being shifted to Bengaluru. I have reached Wellington," Col Singh was quoted as saying by PTI.
On his son's condition, he said: "I can't say anything about that...I am not sure."
"He is critical but stable at the moment," officials had said.
Group Captain Singh's parents Col KP Singh and Uma Singh were in Mumbai at the home of their younger son Tanuj, a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy, when they received news of the crash.
Col Singh's neighbour Lt Colonel Ishan R (retired) told PTI that he told him his son "is a fighter" and will come through.
The Air Force officer won the Shaurya Chakra in August for his courage in handling his aircraft after it was hit by a snag during a sortie last year. He managed to land his Tejas fighter safely.
Yesterday, Group Captain Singh had gone to Sulur to receive General Rawat and escort him to the Defence Services Staff College, Wellington. General Rawat was to address the faculty and students at the institute, where Group Captain Singh is Directing Staff.
Most of the bodies recovered from the crash site were badly charred, said rescue officials. The Air Force has ordered an inquiry into the crash.
On social media, many have posted prayers for Group Captain Singh.
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