An Indian Air Force helicopter carrying 14 army personnel, including chief of defence staff Bipin Rawat, crashed near Coonoor in the nearby hilly Nilgiris district in Tamil Nadu on Wednesday. As per the police sources, the chopper was on its way from the Sulur IAF base to the Defence Services College (DSC) at Wellington when it crashed. Emergency and rescue operation teams are present at the spot. Tamil Nadu forest minister K Ramachandran, who visited the spot, said seven bodies were recovered from the crash site. Three on board were seriously injured and taken to a hospital. Identification of the deceased is under way.
Meanwhile, Congress Supremo Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to share his views on the tragic incident. Hoping for the safety of CDS General Bipin Rawat, his wife and others onboard the chopper, prayers for speedy recovery, wrote Rahul Gandhi on social media. The chopper crashed in a forest area, reportedly due to poor visibility following heavy fog. As per the health officials present at the spot, three people were rescued from the crashed chopper. The chopper crashed in a gorge near a small habitat in a tea estate near Kattery, around 7km from Coonoor. According to eyewitnesses, more bodies have been found trapped under the debris of the chopper. Tamil Nadu chief minister M K Stalin will leave for Coimbatore at 5pm to take stock of the situation.