India defense chief among 13 dead in helicopter crash – air force

Firemen and rescue workers stand next to the debris of an IAF Mi-17V5 helicopter crash site in Coonoor, Tamil Nadu, on December 8, 2021. – A helicopter carrying India’s defence chief General Bipin Rawat crashed, the air force said, with a government minister at the scene saying at least seven people were dead. (Photo by AFP)

New Delhi, India — India’s defense chief General Bipin Rawat and his wife were among 13 people killed in a helicopter crash on Wednesday, the Indian Air Force said.

“With deep regret, it has now been ascertained that Gen Bipin Rawat, Mrs. Madhulika Rawat, and 11 other persons on board have died in the unfortunate accident,” the air force said on Twitter.

Rawat is India’s first chief of defense staff, a position that the government established in 2019, and is seen as close to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The 63-year-old was traveling with his wife and 12 others in a Russian-made Mi-17 chopper that “met with an accident today near Coonoor, Tamil Nadu,” the air force earlier said.

READ: Helicopter crashes with India military chief on board, 7 dead