CHENNAI: A military chopper crashed in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday.
Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat, his wife Madhulika Rawat, Brig LS Lidder, Lt Col Harjinder Singh, NK Gursewak Singh, NK Jitendra Kr, L/Naik Vivek Kumar, L/Naik B Sai Teja, and Hav Satpal were in the Mi-series chopper that crashed between Coimbatore and Sulur in Tamil Nadu.
Four people have been confirmed dead in the incident, Indian media reports have said.
Three people have been rescued so far while a search is on for the others. There were fourteen people on board, according to media reports.
The three who have been rescued suffered serious injuries and have been taken to the hospital at Wellington cantonment in Nilgiris district.
CDS Bipin Rawat, his wife, defence assistant, security commandos and an IAF pilot were on board the Mi-series chopper when it crashed between Coimbatore and Sulur in Tamil Nadu, ANI news agency reported.
CDS Bipin Rawat was en route to Wellington in Coonoor from the Indian Air Force base in Sulur near Coimbatore, as per sources. He left Delhi for Sulur earlier on Wednesday.
Search and rescue operations have been launched from nearby bases, according to ANI.
What is Mi-17V5 helicopter?
The Mi-17V5 is a modern transport helicopter used by the Indian Air Force.
The helicopter is designed to carry personnel, cargo and equipment inside its cargo cabin or on an external sling, according to India Today.
The helicopter is capable of dropping tactical air assault forces and reconnaissance teams, it said.
Equipped with modern avionics, the helicopter is capable of operating in any geographical and climatic conditions, day and night, along with adverse weather situations, according to the report.
The Indian Air Force uses the helicopter to not only transport cargo but also deploy troops in operational areas apart from rescue and relief missions across the country.
The soviet-designed Russian helicopter is capable of landing on unprepared sites at night and in limited adverse weather conditions.
The helicopter can carry a maximum load of 13,000 kilograms, flying at a maximum speed of 250 kilometres per hour.
India acquired 80 Mi-17 helicopters from Russia a few years back, which are the workhorse of the Indian Air Force’s medium transport fleet.
The Russia-made chopper Mi-17 V5 is a trusted aircraft used for all dignitary movements, including the prime minister.
The Mi-17 V5 is top of the line series. The last batch of the chopper was delivered to India in 2018.
There have been no major crashes of the helicopter apart from a single accident in Jammu and Kashmir in February 2019, the day after India conducted an aerial strike in Pakistan’s Balakot in the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack.
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