CDS Bipin Rawat Dies in Helicopter Crash

New Delhi: Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife and 11 others died after the Mi-17V5 helicopter came down in hills near Coonoor city on Wednesday morning. One survivor is being treated for his injuries in hospital.

Gen Rawat, 63, was appointed India’s first-ever Chief of Defence Staff in January 2019. This brought together the Army, the Navy and the Air Force, and Gen Rawat had been in charge of a range of operations including in Indian-administered Kashmir.

The Indian Air Force said it had ordered an investigation into the accident, which happened in foggy weather. A cabinet security committee is holding an emergency session, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.